The Avatar of Atmos
by BlueTiger321
Summary: Sequel to New World Alliance. The Storm Hawks are reunited with their friends and take them into Atmos. But all is not well as an old enemy returns and is stronger than ever.
1. Chapter 1: Return of the Storm Hawks

Chapter 1: Return of the Storm Hawks

BlueTiger321: Hello everyone, and thank you for selecting my story. For those of you who are unaware, this is a sequel to one of my previous stories, _New World Alliance_. I've decided to write this story and include some things I've always wanted to include in the first story but never got around to doing them, and I'm also taking some suggestions based on reviews I've received from _New World Alliance_. Now before I begin I must dispense with the legal parts: _Storm Hawks_ is property of Nerd Corps Entertainment, and _Avatar: The Last Airbender _is property of Nickelodeon Studios. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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><p>The skies of Atmos were now given an everlasting calm from the Storm Hawks' victory over Cyclonia. The evil nation's ruler, Master Cyclonis, had tried to gain control using Farside technology. Despite this, the Storm Hawks and every able-bodied person on Atmos—be they in a Sky Knight squadron or a freedom fighter—managed to abolish Cyclonis's ambitions and put an end to her reign of terror.<p>

But even though Cyclonis was defeated, she refused to surrender and escaped into the door that led to the Farside of Atmos. Aerrow could not let her get away, and so he and his team chased after the Cyclonian ruler.

Six weeks had passed since that fateful day when Cyclonia fell into the Wastelands, and the Storm Hawks were never seen again when they bravely went to the Farside and believed never to return. The skies seemed tranquil, until a flash of purple light erupted from the clouds. The light grew to an enormous size until there was a large purple vortex floating in midair.

Then something emerged from the swirling light. It appeared to be two metal pontoons that kept coming out until they finally revealed their full form. There in the skies was the Storm Hawks' ship, the _Condor_, having returned to Atmos. As the ship emerged in the familiar skies, the large portal behind it closed and sealed the entrance to the Farside.

The _Condor_, having been built new after the first model was destroyed by the Raptors, sailed through the blue skies. The heroic Sky Knight squadron had finally returned after being in the Farside for a lengthy amount of time.

On the bridge of the _Condor_ stood the members of the Storm Hawks: Aerrow, the Sky Knight; Piper, the crystal mage; Finn, the sharpshooter; Junko, the mechanic; Stork, the carrier pilot; and Radarr, the Sky Knight's co-pilot. At first they were all glad to finally be back in the part of Atmos they all knew, but their glee turned to sorrow when they knew they had failed to capture Cyclonis after spending so much time looking for her. None of them felt like returning home to their friends without any results but they had no choice since they were running low on supplies.

Aerrow decided to break the silence by addressing his teammates. "Well, it's great to be back," he said.

Piper looked up from the table in the middle of the bridge where she was seated on the couch. "Yeah," she added. "But it would be nice if we actually brought Cyclonis with us."

"Seriously," said Finn. "You'd think that after spending weeks in some far-out place we'd actually have something, but not even a teensy-weensy lead. Some heroes we turned out to be."

Stork merely gave a shrug while piloting the ship. "Well," he said, "I, for one, am just glad to be safe in the familiar parts of Atmos where I know how to protect myself from certain doom." His left eye then twitched while he continued to speak. "Who knows what kinds of things were lying in wait for me there."

The other Storm Hawks all gave the Merb an odd stare after hearing another one of his paranoia-induced rants. It was something they all have grown accustomed to but they couldn't help but stare at him.

"Maybe Stork is right," said Piper. "The Farside is completely new to us, so it's probably expectant that we shouldn't find Cyclonis so easily."

"Maybe so," said Aerrow, "but if only we had the edge on Cyclonis. Just knowing she's still out there sends a shiver down my spine. If we ever run into her, she's not gonna be happy."

"Don't worry. We know Cyclonis will only be able to come after us by going through the door, and that's safely secured in the hangar bay. When that happens, we'll be ready for her."

The Sky Knight knew that his navigator was right. Coming through the door was Cyclonis's only option and they had it under tight security. This knowledge set the boy's mind at ease. What put him in a better mood was feeling his co-pilot, Radarr, jump onto his shoulders and letting out a pleasant chirp.

"Okay," said Aerrow. "So now that we're back, what should we do first?"

Finn smiled and came up with a suggestion. "Why don't we head for Terra Neon and enjoy ourselves?" he asked. "I'd say it's something we've earned after saving Atmos."

Junko came up with his finger pointed to the ceiling to get the others' attention. "We should probably go re-stock on supplies and crystal fuel," he said. "We're down to our last week of rations and..." The Wallop then gave a nervous shake. "I don't wanna have to eat anymore Merb cabbage."

"Ahem!" chimed Stork. "In case you're getting any ideas, I've hidden my stash so you _don't_ dump it out like last time."

Everyone then remembered the experience in the Great Expanse when they almost met their demise by the siren, and how dumping Stork's supply of Merb cabbage saved them. To the other Storm Hawks, it was a necessary tactic not only to save their lives but to never eat the foul cabbage again. Aerrow thought Junko was right; getting more supplies was necessary to continue their mission.

"Well," said Piper, "before we do anything, we should find out where we are first."

Piper proceeded by bringing down one of the _Condor's_ periscopes. The eyehole came out from the bottom of the ship while the girl viewed the surrounding area. Immediately she let out an excited gasp that got everyone's attention.

"What is it, Piper?" asked Aerrow.

Stepping away from the periscope, Piper faced the Sky Knight to tell him about her discovery. "See for yourself!"

Aerrow got next to the girl and pulled down the other periscope. He tilted it over to where he remembered Piper last looked, and what he saw was a house on a lone terra. The terra's base was grassy with a dirt path that led up to the house. The Sky Knight paused and smiled, knowing that the person who lived there was one of their allies.

"It's Gundstaff's house!" exclaimed the red-haired teen.

Finn opened his eyes in surprise. All the memories of Gundstaff weren't pleasant to him. "And why is that a good thing?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember?" she said. "Gundstaff was the one who gave me the crystals to use the Binding on Aerrow."

"Yeah," added Aerrow. "That's definitely come in handy when fighting the Cyclonians."

"So anyway, we can stop by Gundstaff's house and see if he'll lend us some crystals to fuel the _Condor_."

"Take us in, Stork," ordered Aerrow.

"Oh great," said Stork. "Let's just make sure he doesn't try to smash us like the last times I saw him."

With reluctance, the Merb steered the _Condor_ toward the terra. The mighty ship seemed small in comparison to the house as it got closer, but all the Storm Hawks knew the reason.

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><p>Each of the squadron members were now inside the house upon landing on the terra. It wasn't just the house's exterior that was gigantic; everything inside the house looked like only a giant would live there. All the Storm Hawks walked through the halls while trying to find the occupant.<p>

Junko, while walking with his teammates, said, "It feels kinda weird to be back here—especially with everything we've done to Gundstaff. I mean, it was necessary but I..."

Piper looked back at the Wallop before he could finish. "I know what you mean," she said, "but I can assure you that Gundstaff is no longer with the Cyclonians."

"Do you really think we can say there are any Cyclonians left?" said Finn. "I mean, Cyclonia _is_ technically gone."

"It doesn't matter," replied Aerrow. "As long as Master Cyclonis is still out there, Cyclonia still exists."

Radarr was behind everyone while they walked through the house. The little guy was checking things out for himself and then paused when he heard a clucking sound. The sound suddenly made him feel like ice was running through his veins. All the horrific experiences with Wren's hen came flooding back to his mind. All of a sudden, the clucking was getting louder, which meant the source was getting closer.

The Sky Knights' co-pilot didn't want to, but he had no choice and turned around to see what was making the noise. His worst suspicion came true: it was Gundstaff's giant hen, the same one Radarr saw the first time he came to the house.

The hen let out another cluck upon seeing Radarr, and the little guy, in turn, let out a terrified chirp and ran away to the safety of his teammates.

Aerrow and the others had just entered a large room when the Sky Knight felt Radarr jump up to him and cling to his shoulders. The boy could feel a slight breath down his neck, knowing it was coming from his co-pilot.

"You all right, Radarr?" asked the red-haired teen.

Piper could see her cohort's frightened expression but then turned her gaze back to the room in front. Her eyes brightened when she saw the house's owner. "There he is!" she exclaimed.

Everyone looked up and saw the giant man tower above them. Gundstaff was an old man with his grey hair bristled out on his head and his grey beard and moustache. His huge body was covered with a light green shirt along with brown pants, boots and gloves. Oblivious to the people who just entered, the giant was standing at his table and beating a mortar and pestle to do his research with crystals.

Aerrow walked ahead of his team to address the man. "Hey, Gundstaff!"

Gundstaff raised his head upon hearing the call and instinctively grabbed the firebolt crystal-studded mace on his table. The man turned around while the ocular device on the right side of his face turned up all the lenses to show his enraged, beady black eyes. The giant spoke with a thick Russian accent and said, "Who dares enter my laboratory?"

Finn, Junko and Stork all shouted with fright when they saw the giant raise his weapon. To them it looked like it was the end.

"Gundstaff, wait!" plead Piper. "It's us, the Storm Hawks!"

The giant paused when he recognized the voice. He looked down to find from where it was coming, and there he saw Aerrow and Piper smiling in front of him while Finn, Junko and Stork stood together and quivered with fear. He could also see Radarr sticking his head out from behind the Sky Knight's shoulder.

"Storm Hawks," said Gundstaff. A smile then crossed his face. "It's good to see you. The last I heard, you were going after Cyclonis." The giant then looked to his left and saw he was still holding his mace, and so he set it back onto the table. "Sorry if I scared you. I'm just not used to having company."

Finn opened his eyes when he realized that he was no longer in danger, so he broke away from Junko and Stork. "Oh, no worries," he said while arrogantly combing his hand through his hair. "I wasn't scared at all."

"You sure about that, Finn?" asked Junko. "From the way you were screaming, it sounded like you were pretty scared. I was sure you were about to hide behind me."

Finn got up close to Junko and whispered into his ear. "Ixnay on the eaming-scray."

By that time it was too late; Aerrow, Piper, Radarr and Stork already burst into fits of laughter. Finn just narrowed his eyes and gave Junko a displeased look, and the Wallop only gave a sheepish smile at his friend.

"So," said Gundstaff, "what are you all doing here?"

Aerrow was the one to reply. "We've only come back from the Farside so we can stock up on supplies, and we were wondering if you could lend us some power crystals to refuel our ship."

The giant brought a hand to his lips and thought about the request. He thought if it would help bring Master Cyclonis to justice, then he would definitely take part in it. "Sure," he said, "I've got plenty of power crystals."

Gundstaff walked over to a large metal door and unfastened the lock. Pushing the door opened, he revealed a vault that contained an assortment of crystals in different sizes, shapes and colours stacked on various shelves.

Piper walked in with starlit eyes. Right before her were so many crystals, and the possibility of her examining them all seemed like a dream come true. But she knew that her team had only come to this place for one reason, so she understood that it would have to wait.

Without even looking at his collection, Gundstaff said, "I keep the power crystals on the bottom row, next to the icers."

"Thank you, Gundstaff," said Aerrow. "Your assistance is much appreciated."

The Storm Hawks all walked into the vault to get the crystals they needed. Piper already spotted them by remembering Gundstaff's directions so she eagerly headed off towards the spot.

Meanwhile, Finn stayed behind to observe all the crystals around the vault. A collection of red crystals caught his eye and so he walked over to them to get a closer look. The sharpshooter smiled as he picked up one of the crystals and stared at its magnificence. It all changed when Finn saw the crystal suddenly glow in a red light. The blonde-haired boy yelped as a red beam shot out of the crystal and ricocheted off the metal in the vault.

The other Storm Hawks were forced to duck and cover as the beam sped past all of them. The beam eventually went up the vault where it knocked a certain crystal off the ledge and rolled to Piper's feet. Gundstaff came into the vault and yelped when the beam was reflected off the lens of his ocular device. The beam continued its path down and headed straight for Finn, who screamed and leapt out of the way just as the beam crashed into the floor.

Finn rested on his stomach when it was all over, and he looked up to see everyone give him an angry stare. "It wasn't me!" he said.

"Oh, I think it was," said Stork. "If you'll look behind you it will show a clear indication of 'liar, liar, pants on fire.'"

The sharpshooter was confused by what his teammate said, but then smoke filled his nostrils. He also seemed to notice a warm feeling coming from behind him. Finn looked and saw that his rear caught on fire when the beam grazed him as it crashed into the floor. The teen yelped with fright as he beat out the flame with his hands. Soon the others all laughed with delight while they enjoyed in their friend's misery.

Finn had finally extinguished the flame on his clothing and sighed with relief. The only other time, he thought, which this happened was when the phoenix attacked him back when he was looking for the 'rosen yoga' for the Colonel. And it was an experience that he would rather like to forget.

Piper stopped her laughter and noticed that she felt something by her feet. She looked down and brought up the crystal to her face. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the crystal was round and green, looking so familiar to the one she encountered a long time ago.

"Guys, look at this!" called the girl.

The others all walked over to Piper's location, and they immediately saw the crystal in her hands.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Aerrow.

"Uh-huh," replied Piper. "It's a dimension stone!"

All the memories soon came flooding back into everyone's mind: getting transported to another world with the Cyclonians, meeting Aang and all his friends, and fighting to protect their world from both Cyclonis and Azula. It was a wonderful time for all of them, and they secretly hoped they would return someday.

"I can't believe this," said Aerrow. "Who would've thought we'd find another dimension stone? Well, now that we've got one, I say we all pay a visit to Aang and the others."

"I wonder how they're all doing since the last time we saw them?" said Junko.

"They're probably doing well since we took down Azula," said Piper.

But then a thought occurred to the Sky Knight: the dimension stone was in Gundstaff's possession so they couldn't just take it if they wanted it. First he had to see if the giant needed it for research and, if not, he was willing to loan it to the Storm Hawks.

"Hey, Gundstaff!" called the Sky Knight. The giant looked down at the boy to see what he wanted. "We found this crystal here, and we're wondering if we could borrow it for a while."

Gundstaff looked at the crystal held in Piper's hands. Remembering what it was meant to do, he merely shrugged his shoulders and gave the Storm Hawks an apathetic look. "Go ahead and take it."

Piper was a little perplexed that Gundstaff would part with such a rare crystal so immediately. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"I have no use for that stone. If you want it, then it's yours." The man turned around and a look of sadness was frozen on his face when he looked at an old picture of himself and his family, the only thing he could never get back because of Cyclonis.

"I only ask one thing in return, Storm Hawks," said Gundstaff. "Find Cyclonis and make her pay for what she's done!"

"Uh," said Stork, "technically that's two requests."

"We understand, Gundstaff," said Aerrow. "We won't let you or everyone in Atmos down. I assure you that Cyclonis will receive the punishment she so rightly deserves."

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><p>With instilled confidence and a full supply of power crystals, the Storm Hawks flew away from Gundstaff's home on their ship. A feeling of excitement filled up inside them all as they now had the chance to once again see the friends they made a long time ago who were in the dimension connected to Atmos.<p>

All the Storm Hawks were now in the bridge of the _Condor_: Stork at the steering wheel; Finn and Junko at the couch; and Aerrow, Piper and Radarr staring out at the window. The dimension stone was clutched in Piper's hands while they all contemplated on their next move.

Junko was the first to make the decision. "Well," he said, "why don't we get the dimension stone ready and head on over to see our friends?"

"Good thinking, Junko," said Finn. "Aerrow's just gotta hit it with his Lightning Claw and we'll be there before you know it."

"Actually," chimed Piper, "there _is_ a proper technique to using the dimension stone."

Getting ready, Piper walked out onto the _Condor's_ balcony with the stone in tow. Everyone watched her perform the next feat as she set the stone on the floor and then reached behind her back. The crystal mage then brought out a red and green crystal in her hands, and the others knew they were used for casting the Binding.

Concentrating hard, Piper directed the crystals toward the dimension stone and fired a red beam. The crystal energy encased the dimension stone and made it hover in midair. The others watched patiently to see a beam of green light fire from the stone that went straight outward and opened a green portal that grew larger until it was big enough to allow the _Condor_ to pass.

Aerrow gave the usual smirk he had of going into an unknown place, only this time he did know where he was going and he would finally get to see the friends he made. "Take us in, Stork."

The Merb obliged with his Sky Knight and flew the ship into the portal. Once the _Condor_ was inside, the portal closed behind it and vanished in a flash of light.

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><p>BlueTiger321: So, that's all that happens in the first chapter.<p>

Aerrow: Hooray! We'll get to see Aang and the others!

Piper: I feel it's about time this story got a sequel.

Finn: Seriously. You'd think the author would've done this a while ago.

Junko: Well, I'm sure he had more important things to do.

Stork: Who cares what the author does! That's no excuse for leaving his readers with nothing!

BlueTiger321: Hey Stork, you _really_ shouldn't make authors angry! You never know what they'll do to you.

Stork: Like what? *gasps when he sees mindworms crawling all over him* Ahhh! Get them off!

BlueTiger321: Well folks, stay tuned for the next chapter where the Aang Gang and the Storm Hawks will be reunited. So, until next time...

Aerrow: Read and review!


	2. Chapter 2: Friends in Odd Places

Chapter 2: Friends in Odd Places

BlueTiger321: Hello everyone, and welcome to the next chapter. I apologize for the major delay, but now I'm back. So here's the next part for all of you to enjoy.

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><p>A tranquil sky stood over a patch of ice floes. The brilliant blue hanging over the surface complemented the colours with the surrounding water and icebergs, adding the chilling sense to the landscape. The scene was so peaceful that not a living thing stood out to disrupt the serenity.<p>

In that instant, a giant green vortex erupted in the sky and out came the _Condor_. The Storm Hawks' ship flew forward and into the new skies with the vortex soon closing once the ship was out.

The Storm Hawks were all in the bridge and gasped upon returning to the world watched over by the Avatar. All of them could feel a great sense of both excitement and wonder when they would get the chance to see their friends again.

To make sure they were indeed in the same world, Stork turned to his right and saw that the ship's Timepulse was not moving, which meant it could not pick up any navigation signal. The Merb was both glad and worried at this sight.

Aerrow came up to address his team. "This is great," he said. "I can't wait to finally see everyone. It's been so long. I hope they haven't forgotten about us."

"Well," said Piper, "if we haven't forgotten them, then it's safe to assume the same for Aang and the others. It just has that kind of effect on people."

Finn was too busy looking out the window to pay any notice. "So where do you think we are?"

"It's hard to say," replied Piper. "That vortex could've led us anywhere, just like the first time we came."

The conversation was interrupted when the two heard shivering and the sound of chattering teeth. They both turned to the front and saw Stork suffering from the cold atmosphere outside the _Condor_. Merbs were known to be cold-blooded—and even with the ship's furnace, Stork could still feel the cold seeping in and causing him great discomfort.

"Oh, I remember this chilly sensation," Stork said through his shivering.

"What do you mean?" asked Junko.

"Remember when I went with Aang to go pick up reinforcements to bring back to the Earth Kingdom capital?" Stork saw everyone nod in response. "Well, we quickly flew south to pick up some people who lived down here. And if memory serves, he told me that this is where Sokka and Katara live."

"You mean we're close to the Southern Water Tribe?" said Aerrow. "That's great! Let's just hope Sokka and Katara are there right now."

"Yeah," said Stork, "but we don't actually know where they are. And even if we do find them, we'll need someplace to land the _Condor_."

"Why can't you land it on the water?" asked Finn.

The Merb let out a gasp in response. The very mention of that suggestion seemed like a blow to his stomach. "Are you mad?" he said. "The _Condor_ isn't designed to land on water! If I were to follow your silly idea (which I won't), then she'd sink like a rock!"

The Sky Knight knew that Stork had a point, and he gazed out the window and felt shivers all over his body. He didn't even want to imagine about plunging into the freezing water. From the corner of his eye he could see Radarr sharing his thoughts by wrapping his arms around his furry body.

Piper continued looking out the periscope to look for a destination. She paused and said, "There!"

Everyone else looked out the window and saw in the distance a large ice floe spanning out in the middle of the ocean. The massive size and thickness of the ice floe appeared as though it was a safe place to land the _Condor_.

"Stork, take us down there," said Aerrow.

The pilot followed his Sky Knight's order and steered the ship over to the ice floe. Upon reaching it, the _Condor's_ speed was reduced until it hovered over the ice where its landing gear was deployed. The _Condor_ slowly descended onto the ice and touched down gently on the surface. At the sub-zero temperature, the ice floe was strong enough to support the _Condor's_ weight without any worry from the Storm Hawks.

Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Junko and Radarr all walked out of the bridge to get to the hangar bay. The red-haired teen paused mid-step when he saw that Stork was not accompanying the rest of the team.

Turning to face the Merb, Aerrow said, "Aren't you gonna come with us?"

Stork shivered. "As much as I want to see the others," he replied, "walking out there gives me... well, the chills! I'd rather stay here instead of risking hypothermia for my friends."

The others just shook their heads disappointingly and knew it was better to do nothing than argue with Stork's logic.

"Suit yourself," said Piper.

The other Storm Hawks had all walked into the hangar bay and mounted their sky rides after donning their armour. They all waited for the doors to open and then sped out onto the runway where they dove off and activated flight mode. The bitter cold air stung their cheeks upon riding through the skies, but their bodies felt warm due to the climate control of their outfits. They knew the sheer cold would be worth it just to see the looks on their friend's faces to see them return after so long.

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><p>A few minutes had passed after the Storm Hawks left their ship. They diligently searched throughout the region to find any signs of civilization in the freezing land. But all around them they could see nothing but more snow and ice covering the vast ocean.<p>

Finn shivered as a cold wind snuck up behind him. "Man, I hope we find the Water Tribe soon, 'cause I'm starting to feel like Stork."

"We'll find them," said Aerrow. "I'm sure of it. We came all this way to see them and we won't back down now."

Piper continued her search by looking through the peepers she borrowed from Stork. The lenses allowed her to see greater distances from wherever she was, and that's when she looked down and let out a gasp. "Down there!" she exclaimed.

The other Storm Hawks looked down and saw a large patch of ice. On its surface were many different buildings made out of snow all inside a snow-packed wall. Narrowing their eyes, they could make out two figures standing by themselves who were each dressed in blue coats.

Aerrow looked closer and saw they were a boy and girl. The girl's long brown hair flowed freely down her back and flapped in the wind while the boy wore his short brown hair in a ponytail.

A smile came to the Sky Knight's face when he recognized them as his friends. "We've found them!"

Junko kept looking around the village and his eyes went wide when he found something else. "Hey, look at that!"

The others looked to where the Wallop was pointing and saw a familiar beast. Its white fur blended in with the snow, but the arrow-shaped brown fur on its forehead made it stand out along with the huge saddle on its back.

"Appa?" said Finn. "What's he doing here?"

"If he's here, then that must mean Aang is here as well," said Aerrow.

The Sky Knight dove down toward the village while the rest of his team followed after him. Upon nearing the surface of the ice, the Storm Hawks all converted their sky rides back to vehicle mode and skidded to a halt before the Southern Water Tribe.

In the village, all the residents watched as the mysterious objects in the sky touched down before them. Sokka and Katara stared up in wonder at what they were, but then delight came to the girl's face when she thought it would be the same people she met a long time ago.

Katara rushed off and out of the village to greet the newcomers just as Aang stepped out of a building.

Sokka turned back and asked the Avatar, "Did you see it, too?"

"Yeah," replied the boy. "Where's Katara?"

"She went off to go see what's up."

Aang thought for a moment. "Go join her. I'll go get the others and we'll meet you there."

"Okay," said Sokka.

The Water Tribe boy then ran after his sister to welcome the ones they hoped would be there.

Back outside the village, the Storm Hawks shut off their sky rides and dismounted. It wasn't long until they heard the crunching of snow in the distance and saw that someone was approaching them.

"Well," said Aerrow. "I didn't think we'd get a welcoming this quickly."

"Who do you think it is?" asked Piper.

"We'll find out soon enough."

The lone figure came out, and the Storm Hawks could see it was their friend Katara. The young Waterbender stopped in her tracks—and then she opened her mouth in disbelief when she saw her presumption was true: the friends she thought she would never see again were standing right before her.

There was a silence between the group, and then Aerrow walked forward to greet his friend after so long. "Hi, Katara," he said.

Katara only smiled while tears of joy streamed down her face. She then ran forward and embraced Aerrow in a hug. The Sky Knight was a bit shocked at first but then hugged his friend back. It was a heartfelt reunion for both of them.

"Hey, where's my hug?" Finn said jokingly.

Katara broke away from Aerrow and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm so glad you're all back," she said. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to be back," said Piper. "We've been wondering what you've been up to since we left."

Junko looked off in the distance and saw another group approaching. "Hey, look!" he said. "Here come some more people!"

Everyone turned to the spot to see the other group getting closer. By narrowing their eyes they could see that it was the rest of their friends: Aang, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, and Momo. The Avatar led the way with the flying lemur flapping its wings above him. Sokka held on to Toph's hand and directed her across the ice due to her blindness and inability to sense vibrations, both from the terrain and the boots she wore on her feet. Zuko came up the rear, and a pleasant smile crossed his face to see his friends once again.

Aang and the others had finally reached the spot, and they all stood next to Katara. A wave of exhilaration passed over them upon seeing the Storm Hawks again.

"I can't believe it," said Sokka. "You're actually back."

"I know," said Aerrow. "We were hoping we'd get the chance to see you all again, and here we are."

Finn coolly ran his hand through his hair and said, "Yeah, a Sky Knight squadron's work is never done, but we've managed to find the time to hang out with you guys again. Consider yourselves lucky that you've been given such a great honour."

Toph only smirked at the comment. "Can someone direct me towards Finn?" she asked.

The blonde sharpshooter willingly walked up to Toph and knelt down to her level. "I'm right here."

The blind girl nodded and then proceeded to punch Finn in the arm, making the boy yelp in surprise and rub the sore spot.

"It sounds like you're still the same lunkhead you always were," said Toph. "And you should consider yourself lucky that I've got no earth here to crush you like a berry."

The others all let out fits of laughter upon seeing Finn's misery, and the sharpshooter only crossed his arms and gave a sneer at their remarks.

Momo landed down on the ice and chirped as his own version of welcoming back the others. Radarr walked forward to face the flying lemur, and together they gave out a long line of chirps. The others watched and chuckled at seeing their furry cohorts interacting in such a way.

"If I didn't know any better," said Aang, "I'd swear they were striking up a conversation."

"It sure looks that way," said Piper.

"So, why are you all here?" asked Junko.

"We're all just visiting," said Zuko. "It's been quite a while since we've seen each other, so I figured it would be a great time to catch up, just like old times."

"But if you're here," said Piper, "who's governing the Fire Nation?"

"Don't worry. I've got it all worked out with my followers."

"Well," said Aerrow, "I guess it made it more convenient for us to find you guys."

Sokka looked out amongst the Storm Hawks and realized that one of them wasn't here. "Hey, where's Stork?" he asked.

"He's back in the _Condor_," replied Aerrow. "Believe me when I say this: he really wanted to see you guys, but he couldn't stand being out in this cold."

Aang laughed to himself a little and said, "Well, why don't we go see him?"

The group was about to head off when they heard crunching snow from behind them and saw another figure come up to them. They could see that this person was an adult, well-built, and wearing the usual Water Tribe attire. Sokka and Katara already knew who was walking towards them so they ran up to the person to address him.

"Hey, Dad," the siblings said in unison.

"Hey, you two," said Hakoda. "I was wondering what made you rush off in a hurry."

The rest of the group walked up to the man to give their own salutations.

"Water Chief Hakoda," said Aerrow. "It's an honour to meet you again."

The man looked up and saw the Storm Hawks standing before him. "I know you. You're the group of people from another world who helped us stop Azula. I never thought I'd see you again after you left."

"Yeah," added Aang. "How did you guys get back anyway?"

"It's a long story," said Piper. "If you don't mind, we'd like to catch up with our friends."

Katara looked up at her father. "We're just going to go with them for a while. Is that all right with you?"

The Water Chief paused in thought while he looked into his children's eyes. A smile then formed on his lips while he said, "I don't see why not. You've already saved the world twice before, so I think you deserve a break."

Sokka and Katara smiled and both embraced their father. Breaking off, they walked over to their friends to decide what to do next.

"Awesome," said Finn. "So let's get back to the _Condor_."

Aang nodded and then brought something out from his clothing. He revealed it to the others to be a white whistle that was shaped like a sky bison. The boy Avatar took in a deep breath and blew hard into the whistle.

The Storm Hawks were confused as they could not hear any sound made. But Junko, due to his large ears and sensitive hearing, was forced to cover his ears upon hearing the high-pitched noise.

"What's wrong, Junko?" said Piper.

"You mean you guys don't hear it?" said the Wallop.

The others shook their heads while Aang stopped blowing into the whistle. Junko stopped covering his ears and looked at the boy while he rubbed his hands on his head. Aang only gave an apologetic look at his friend after realizing he was causing some unintended pain.

"Sorry, Junko," said the Avatar. "I promise I'll only use this when you're not around, or when absolutely necessary."

The Wallop nodded in accepting the apology. He lifted his head to the sky when he heard a growling noise and paused when he saw Appa coming down onto the ice.

The sky bison landed softly next to Aang and the others. Upon touching down, Appa looked at the Storm Hawks and spotted Finn just a few feet away from him. He then extended his large tongue and licked the sharpshooter, causing him to back away and groan as he was covered in saliva like the first time they met.

The others all burst out laughing once again after seeing Finn's silly moment.

"I can see that Appa hasn't changed," said Aerrow.

Finn, meanwhile, shook the saliva off his body and said, "Two words, Appa: breath mint!"

After another short chuckle from everyone, the Avatar's group mounted on Appa while the Storm Hawks returned to their sky rides. The Avatar took hold of the reins attached to Appa's horns as he was beginning the travel by air.

"Appa, yip yip!" said the boy.

The command was given, and the sky bison growled and flew into the sky. The Sky Knight squadron joined them by starting their vehicles, gaining some speed on the snow, and then converting their Skimmers into flight mode. Once everyone was in the air, the Avatar made his sky bison fly after the Storm Hawks to head towards their ship.

It wasn't long until the Storm Hawks had found the spot where the _Condor_ landed. They all steered their rides down to the ice floe with Aang and the others in pursuit. The rides changed back to vehicle mode and touched down on the runway after the hangar bay door was opened. Aerrow and his team rolled into their ship and stopped, glad to be out of the cold air and into the warmth of their home.

Appa was ordered to follow the example of the Storm Hawks, and so he slowly descended to the _Condor_ and made a gentle landing on the runway. Everyone riding the sky bison then jumped off the saddle and walked into the ship.

Toph smirked once she was inside, and then she gleefully took off her boots and let her bare feet wiggle free on the metal floor. "Ah," she said. "It sure feels good to see again through Earthbending."

The group, once settled in, walked through the ship and headed for the bridge. The automatic door opened and let everyone inside before shutting again. Stork, sitting on the couch, looked up to see everyone inside, and all he could do was warm up his body and shiver from the cold.

"Hey, guys," said the Merb. "Long time no see."

Katara ran up to Stork and leaned down to embrace him. In return, Stork gasped and tried to claw his way out like he was trapped underneath a pile of rubble.

"It's good to see you, Stork," said the Waterbender.

Finn only rolled his eyes at the spectacle. "How come Stork gets a hug and I don't?"

Once Katara had broken away from Stork, the pilot stood up and checked himself over, fearful of catching any pathogens. "Don't take this the wrong way, Katara," he said, "but I'm _really_ hoping that you cleaned up before you did that."

Katara merely narrowed her eyes and groaned in frustration at the comment. It was not the welcome she had expected from her friend.

As everyone else was gazing around the ship, Toph froze when she felt her feet against the floor. It was odd for her since this feeling was something new to her—and yet she couldn't figure out why she was experiencing it. Hopefully, she thought, her friends would be able to explain it to her.

"Um, guys," said Toph, "I know this probably sounds crazy, but I don't think this is the same ship as last time."

Everyone else looked at the blind girl and gave her a confused look. Why she would say something like that didn't seem to make sense.

"What are you talking about, Toph?" said Sokka. "This looks like the same, old _Condor_ to me."

"Trust me; I can feel a difference."

Aerrow stepped forth to tell his friends the truth. "Actually, Toph is right: this isn't the same _Condor_ we had the first time we came here."

"What do you mean?" asked Zuko.

Piper walked next to Aerrow to tell the story. "Well, do you remember the Raptors?"

"You mean those creepy lizard guys who were with the Cyclonians?" said Sokka.

"Bingo," replied Finn.

"Anyway," Aerrow continued, "about a few months ago, they destroyed the original _Condor_ hoping to get rid of us. This ship is brand new and just like our old ship down to every last detail."

"Oh yeah," said Stork. "But the old _Condor_ will always have a special place in my heart. There was just something about her that made me feel so... alive." The Merb then narrowed his eyes and brought his fingers together in a sinister manner. "But I made sure that Repton and his lackeys paid for what they did to my baby. If they ever hear my name again, I'll guarantee you they'll run away screaming."

The others all blinked while staring at Stork. That last comment seemed to instil them with more concern about his well-being, and they hoped it wouldn't come to anything extreme.

"So," Aang said, changing the topic, "what happened to you guys after you went back to your world?"

"A lot of things," replied Aerrow. "The main one being that Master Cyclonis tried to take over Atmos using technology that came from the Farside."

"The Farside?" said Zuko. "What's that?"

"It's a place that's on the other side of our world," answered Piper. "It's unlike anything we've ever seen, and Cyclonis used it to conquer all the terras."

"As a Sky Knight squadron, we couldn't take it lying down," said Aerrow. "We combined every able-bodied person to help in bringing down Cyclonis. We were about to win the day when she went back through the portal that led to the Farside. So we chased after her, but we've never been able to find her."

Katara sympathized with the Storm Hawks over almost claiming victory over their enemy. "That's too bad. We all know firsthand what Cyclonis is capable of—and she's a huge threat to everyone."

"I know," said Piper. "So after weeks of trying to find her, we decided to return to Atmos. And that's when we found another dimension stone."

The Avatar's group brightened up when they heard the name of the crystal.

"Are you serious?" said Toph. "You mean you actually found another one of those stones?"

"It's true," said Piper. "The first one was lost when we returned to Atmos. But luckily, one of our friends happened to have one."

"How else do you think we got here?" said Finn.

Aang paused for a moment while he took in all the information. "Well," he said, "it sounds like you've all had quite an adventure since you went back."

"You can say that again," said Aerrow. "So now that we're all here, what should we do?"

Junko was the first one to come up with an idea. "Why don't we go have something to eat? I can't wait to try some more great food here!"

Everyone rolled their eyes at the Wallop's suggestion, thinking it was rather typical of him to say something like that.

Just then, Aang brought his other friends closer together and he began to whisper something to all of them. The Storm Hawks watched in awe by what they were discussing. It seemed like they would come up with a grand idea and they couldn't wait to hear what their friends had to say.

The group broke away, and Aang faced the Sky Knight. "We have an idea. Since you've already seen our world, why don't you take us into your world?"

The Storm Hawks were shocked to hear that suggestion. The Avatar's group wanting to see Atmos was something they'd never expect, especially with the duties placed on some of them.

"Are you sure about this?" said Aerrow. "I mean, Aang is responsible to maintain order around this world, and Zuko has his own nation to govern."

"I'm sure that even the Avatar is allowed to take a vacation every now and then," said Katara. "Besides, things around here have been more peaceful since Azula was defeated."

"Yeah," added Zuko. "And it's not like we're going to be gone for very long. I'm sure my subjects won't mind looking over things for a little while."

Aerrow looked over at his team to get their opinions. "What do you think?"

"Why not?" said Piper. "We could show them all the great things Atmos has to offer."

"Yeah," said Finn. "We could hit the beaches of Tropica, or see the sights of Neon! It'll be a blast!"

"It'll give me a chance to pass on my wisdom of all the horrors to avoid," said Stork, "like the Black Gorge and the Wastelands."

Radarr looked up at the red-haired teen with a cheerful expression, and then chirped while giving a thumb up. It was his own way of saying that if this is what their friends wanted, then he would be happy to oblige.

Turning back to Aang and the others, Aerrow said, "Okay, then. Let's head on over to Atmos."

The group all let out a cheer. The thought of crossing over into a new world was exciting to all of them and they couldn't wait to see all the wonders of what the Storm Hawks had told them.

"Stork, take us up," ordered Aerrow.

The pilot went over to the controls and made the _Condor_ rise into the air. Appa, waiting outside, was startled at first but felt calm when he saw Aang fly out from the balcony to join with him. Piper soon followed afterward as she was preparing to activate the dimension stone. Getting all the crystals ready, the girl cast the Binding and once again created the vortex from the stone.

The green portal grew until it was the reasonable size for the _Condor_, and so the mighty ship flew inside. The portal then closed once the ship had passed and vanished in a flash of light.

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><p>Back in Atmos, the opposite end of the portal opened up with a flash in the middle of the sky. The <em>Condor<em> flew out and back into familiar skies with the Avatar's group as its passengers. The Storm Hawks all felt ecstatic of allowing their new friends the opportunity to view their world for the first time.

After the ship flew out, the portal vanished once more and the _Condor_ flew into the clouds.

Not long after in the same spot where the portal closed, a red light appeared out of nowhere and began spiralling at an incredible rate. This light soon turned into energy as it crackled from the centre and spread out to different corners. It was then that the energy began to take a human form, and its mouth opened to let out a furious groan. Soon its eyes opened up to reveal anger and the desire for vengeance.

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><p>BlueTiger321: Well, now the gang's been reunited.<p>

Aang: Hooray!

Finn: Hey, what was that weird stuff at the end?

BlueTiger321: Sorry, but that's until the next chapter.

Finn: Aw, man! Way to leave us high and dry!

BlueTiger321: So folks, stay tuned until the next exciting chapter. Until next time...

Aang: Read and review!


	3. Chapter 3: Dark Alliance

Chapter 3: Dark Alliance

BlueTiger321: So now begins the next chapter. I'll bet you're all wondering what happened at the end of chapter two, and here's where everything develops. Let's hope that our heroes can figure out what's going on before it's too late.

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><p>Terra Tropica was serene as it always had been. The waves along the beaches crashed along the shore with peaceful strokes while the lush jungle sat proudly showing its dense foliage. The people of Atmos knew this terra to be the perfect place to go if they ever felt the need to relax—but others knew it was the location that once held something that almost brought about Atmos's destruction.<p>

A lone figure stepped out of a bush and revealed himself to be the former Talon commander of the Terra Nimbus division, Snipe. The burly man was covered in bruises and his clothes were tattered after he barely managed to escape from the Wasteland. His banishment by Master Cyclonis had now made him finished with following her orders, and so he would set out to only follow his own goals.

Snipe stopped to catch his breath. "Oh man," he said. "I'm glad ta finally be out of there. And now I won't have to put up with that brat Cyclonis's hissy fits anymore. Still, bein' a Talon was a rather sweet gig. With all the bossing around my own subjects and bein' able to smash stuff whenever I felt like it, it was the perfect thing for me."

The former Talon then stopped his ranting when he heard a twig snapping and figured it was coming from behind him. Turning around, his eyes went wide with terror as he came across a group of people who were all wearing wooden masks and linen cloths around their waists. Each of them carried a spear made from a branch and a sharpened stone in their hands and they started to speak in their own language, which mostly consisted of words like "Kajiji!" These people were the natives of Terra Tropica—and they each cast a menacing glance at Snipe for invading their land.

Snipe could only gulp nervously, knowing that he was unarmed, outnumbered, and still injured from escaping the Wasteland. So he resorted to doing the only thing he could do: he ran.

The jungle was now filled with Snipe's cowardly scream as he ran away from the natives who raised their spears above their heads and gave chase to the invader. Snipe continued to run, ignoring the constant pain in his legs as he feared his pursuers would either capture him or worse.

Then, when the man thought it was hopeless, he spotted something up ahead that just might save him—a cave sitting perfectly still amongst the trees. Snipe ran faster with what little strength he had left and made a beeline for the cave.

The natives saw their target enter the cave and then stopped in their tracks. They each believed that what was in the cave was dangerous and they wouldn't dare set foot inside. Speaking amongst themselves in their language, they all turned around and ran in the opposite direction to get away from the cave.

Snipe leaned out from the entrance to see he was no longer being chased. He brought his hand to his forehead and wiped sweat from his brow after eluding a near-fatal encounter.

"That was close," he said. Looking deeper into the cave, the man suddenly let his curiosity get the better of him. "I wonder what's in here that made 'em run away."

Snipe walked deeper into the cave, taking careful steps so as not to arouse anything dangerous that may live in its depths. Every time he got closer he could feel that something was waiting for him just up ahead. The feeling made him both afraid and more curious at the same time. He wanted to stop but his legs wouldn't let him.

Finally Snipe came to the end of the cave, and all that was there was a huge clearing with a giant mound that had a stone stairway leading to the top.

"Huh," Snipe said upon reaching the end. "I was kinda expecting something else."

"Then how about me?" said another voice.

The former Talon quickly turned his head upward when he heard the voice. It was female and sounded very familiar to him.

Standing on a ledge that overlooked the cave was the former Talon commander of the Terra Bluster division and Snipe's older sister, Ravess. The woman leapt off the edge and landed from the jump on her feet right in front of Snipe, making the man startle back from the sudden feat.

"Ravess!" said Snipe. "How the heck did you end up here?"

"I've been here ever since Cyclonis banished me," she replied, "all because of your foolish act of trying to take over the throne! If you hadn't been so selfish then I wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Hey!" he snapped. "I wouldn't have done it if you didn't treat me like garbage! And just so ya know, you had it easy. Cyclonis banished me to the Wasteland when I failed to get rid of the Storm Hawks. At least you didn't have ta run away from fire scorpions and lava serpents lookin' at ya like you were dinner!"

Ravess smirked when she heard her brother's story. "Oh, so Cyclonis banished you too? And all because of your incompetence. Well, I guess she finally had enough of your failure that she saw you nothing more as a liability."

Snipe fumed with anger. "Oh, that's it!" he said. "I've had enough of you pushing me around! I say we settle this right here and now!"

The man yelled as he balled his hand into a fist and lashed out at his sister. Ravess smirked as she ducked under the attack and grabbed Snipe's arm. Then using her superior combat prowess, she twisted his arm and made him howl in agony. It was followed up by Ravess pinning her brother to the ground and held him with his arm twisted behind his back.

Snipe struggled as best he could, but Ravess continued to keep a tight grip on him and he was still exhausted from his earlier encounter with the natives. All he could do was utter cries of pain as his joint was twisted the opposite way.

Ravess let out a cruel laughter. "With pleasure, little brother," she said. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment to finally put you in your place!"

The two siblings locked in on their fight with Ravess still pinning down Snipe. They were still struggling when they heard footsteps echoing from the tunnel that were getting louder as whoever or whatever was making them got closer. Ravess and Snipe looked up after pausing from their quarrel to see four figures emerge from the tunnel.

Standing with the former Talons was the leader of the Raptors, Repton, and his brothers, Lugey, Spitz and Hoerk. The Raptor leader looked out and revealed that he had a large scar going down diagonally to the right across his face.

Repton and his brothers stopped when they suddenly saw the two unexpected people in the cave. "What?" he said in a fury. "Why are you two here?"

"I could say the same thing about you, Repton," said Ravess.

"Yeah," added Snipe. "And I like what you've done with your face." The man then let out a laugh to add to his sarcasm.

"I know," said Lugey. "It really makes the boss look—"

The portly Raptor was cut off when he was smacked on the head by Repton's tail, forcing him to be quiet and rub the sore spot after he let out a cry of pain.

"Shut up, Lugey," said Repton. He redirected his attention to Snipe and pointed to his scar. "This is compliments of that wretched Storm Hawks pilot. When I get my claws on him, I'll tear him apart and mount his head on my wall!"

Lugey felt confused about the statement from his brother. "Are you sure it was his fault, boss? 'Cause you said that your boomerang came back and hit—"

This time Lugey was interrupted by Hoerk, who knocked him on the head with his fist.

"When Repton tells you to shut up, then you better shut up!" said Hoerk.

Lugey only rubbed his head again and nodded when he got the message.

"Sssso," said Spitz to Ravess and Snipe, "what are you guysss doing anyway?"

"Oh, I'm just about to give my brother the thrashing he so rightly deserves," replied Ravess.

Repton looked down and saw Snipe was in a painful position. To the Raptor leader, it was rather amusing to see the burly man so helpless before him. Then he came up with an idea. "When you're done, I'll take my share of beating him senseless." Repton then reached behind his back and pulled out his boomerang.

Snipe only frowned and shook while still in his sister's clutches. "Hey, wait a minute!" he plead. "Can't you help a guy out?"

"I haven't forgotten that you shot us down in Cyclonia, Snipe," Repton snarled. "Now it's time that I get some well-deserved payback!" The Raptor then activated his boomerang, making the blade glow with yellow crystal energy.

Snipe was now sweating profusely as he would have no choice but to accept the punishment he was about to receive from his sister and the Raptors. The only thing he could do at this point was let out a cry of cowardice that no one would hear.

Suddenly, a bright flash of red light came out from the tunnel that made everyone stop what they were doing and shield their eyes. Ravess was forced to let go of Snipe so she could cover herself from the light with Snipe doing the same. When the light subsided, everyone was now perplexed by what could make a light so bright that it was able to shine in a cave.

"What wasss that?" said Spitz.

Everyone then rushed out of the cave to find the source of the light. Upon finally reaching the outside, they were all caught in shock and awe at the sight.

On the ground were the natives lying unconscious and injured. Parts of the soil were now charred with smoke rising in the air. But the most unbelievable sight was the one who stood victorious over the battle that took place. The group could see him standing tall, his black hair dancing in the wind, his fists clenched over his chest with the Cyclonian chest plate, and his red eyes darting over while he smirked at the carnage he created.

The man turned to the others and said, "Surprise!"

"The Dark Ace?" said Ravess. "You did this?"

"That's right. It wasn't much of a challenge for a warrior like me. With my newfound power, I took care of these worms like they were mere amateurs."

Snipe stood there for a moment, and then let out laughter so loud that he was forced to clutch his sides. "Yeah, right!" he said. "_You_ have special powers? Well then, I'm the King of Atmosia!" The laughter continued from Snipe, and eventually the others joined in as well since they each thought it was impossible for the Dark Ace to acquire some incredible power without crystals.

The former elite Talon smirked while the others stood mocking him. If they wouldn't take his word for it, then he would give them a demonstration. The Dark Ace then held up his hand and snapped his fingers.

Snipe continued laughing but then screamed as he was blasted backward as a burst of red light erupted in front of him. The others stopped and watched Snipe fly back and hit the side of the cave and slump to the ground. The burly man stood up and wobbled around with his eyeballs rolling around in their sockets.

Repton's mouth was agape while he watched an unbelievable sight. "How did you do that?"

"If you must know," replied Dark Ace, "I owe my new powers to that witch, Cyclonis." The man was now through with calling the girl his master.

"Cyclonis?" said Ravess. Her eyes narrowed while her voice was now filled with rage. "I should've suspected as much. After all, you were her right-hand man, and so she gave you power at your disposal."

"Yes," added Repton. "And I suppose now you've come to do away with us so Cyclonis will have no opposition against her. Well, you may have power, but you're clearly outnumbered. And we won't go down without a fight!"

The Raptors, Ravess and Snipe all charged on the Dark Ace with the intention of taking him down. But then, Dark Ace stomped his foot on the ground and brought up a wall of red energy to defend himself from the group's attack. They all stopped before the wall, but then saw the energy subside to reveal Dark Ace with an enraged look on his face.

"Settle down, you fools," said Dark Ace. "I'm like each of you: finished with taking Cyclonis's orders."

"Wait," said Ravess. "If you're not with Cyclonis, then why did she give you such great power?"

The Dark Ace changed his expression to show a stern look as he gave his explanation. "I acquired them from Cyclonis as I was trying to fight that meddlesome Sky Knight, Aerrow. She tried to give me power that she got from a crystal taken from the Farside of Atmos. All I wanted was to beat Aerrow, and so Cyclonis gave me the strength I needed. But before I knew it, I acquired too much power, and my body couldn't take it. I vanished from the battle.

"But even though my body was gone, my consciousness somehow remained. Luckily, all the power Cyclonis had given me was what I needed. I concentrated with all my being to bring myself back into existence.

"What you see of me now is the product of all the hard work and strain I have endured to rebuild myself. But now, I have this newfound power—a power that would make the Aurora Stone look pathetic."

The others were all left gasping at what the Dark Ace told them. The strength he now had made them feel like weaklings compared to him.

"So now that you're back, why are you here?" asked Snipe.

The Dark Ace chuckled to himself as he would now explain his plan. "I've come to seek out each of you since I know you've all suffered at the hands of Cyclonis. Well now, I say it's time that _we_ make her kneel before us. With my power and your forces combined, we will take down Cyclonis and usher in a new reign over Atmos. But most importantly, we will destroy the Storm Hawks!"

Ravess, Snipe and the Raptors all shouted with praise as they raised their fists in the air. Now they would join forces to rule Atmos for themselves and destroy their enemies. The Dark Ace smiled as he saw his speech had convinced the others to join him.

"It's high time we get what we deserve!" said Repton.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Snipe. "Let's get outta here and start lookin' for those brats!"

"Yes," said Ravess. "But there's only one problem: we don't have any rides."

"Speak for yourself," said Repton. "My boys and I have our rides."

"Is there any chance you could give Ravess and me a lift?" asked Snipe.

"Sure," said Hoerk, "if you can stand Lugey's smell."

The portly Raptor felt a little offended by the comment from his brother, but then sniffed under his armpit and chuckled to himself: it was the smell he knew to come and love for so long that he could be offended no longer.

Ravess and Snipe both shared disgusted glances with Snipe putting his hand over his mouth and his face turning green like he was going to vomit.

The Dark Ace soon got their attention by levitating in midair, leaving the others gasping at this feat. "Leave that to me," he said.

The former Talon then directed his hands over to two boulders that sat by themselves away from the group. Concentrating hard, he unleashed a red beam from his palms that sped towards the boulders. The beams encased the large stones with red light that made their forms shift around until they looked completely different. When the light subsided the boulders were no longer there; instead they had been transformed into Ravess's Switchblade and Snipe's Heli-Blade Elite.

The burly man and his sister both smiled at seeing their sky rides before them, and now they would be able to wreak destruction just like they did when they were serving under Master Cyclonis.

The Dark Ace smirked as his plans were now coming into fruition. Soon he would have Atmos under his rule, and he would eliminate his adversaries in the process. And to prove that he was no longer a soldier of Cyclonia, he waved his hand over his chest plate and changed the Cyclonian insignia into a black skull with piercing red eyes.

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><p>BlueTiger321: *gasp* The Dark Ace is back and he's more powerful than ever!<p>

Dark Ace: That's right! Bow down to me or perish!

BlueTiger321: Hey, I don't have to bow down to you! I'm the author of this story! You're only like this because I made you this way.

Dark Ace: Oh, really? Then just try and stop me.

BlueTiger321: Okay. *turns Dark Ace into a cat*

Dark Ace: *angrily meows*

BlueTiger321: Heh, heh, heh. Well anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter. Until next time, be sure to read and review, folks!


	4. Chapter 4: Worlds Apart

Chapter 4: Worlds Apart

BlueTiger321: Okay! So now here's one part I'm sure you've all been hoping to see: the Avatar's group experiencing Atmos for the first time. Well, all I can say is that I hope this chapter will meet your expectations. Enjoy!

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><p>The <em>Condor<em> flew through the skies of Atmos, its mighty hull passing by the clouds like a magnificent bird taking flight. The passengers it was carrying were all excited for their own reasons: the Storm Hawks for returning to the people they have sworn to protect as heroes, and the Avatar's group to see the world connected to their own for the first time.

As the ship continued to be piloted by Stork, the rest of the group was out on the balcony as they viewed the sights. Aang and his friends were all amazed by what they saw before them—a world where flight is the main method of travel and dotted with mountainous landscapes. It was not anything like in their world—and they all felt lucky for seeing it.

Toph was the only one who couldn't enjoy it for her vision was limited to what she could feel on the metal of the ship. "So what's out there?" she asked. "Don't keep me in the dark."

"It's incredible," replied Aang. "It's a world filled with endless sky. This would be an Airbender's paradise."

Katara got behind Aang and put her hands on the boy's shoulders. "I could definitely see it. This world looks so spectacular that everyone in our world could end up living together with the inhabitants here. Wouldn't that be wonderful if our two worlds lived as one?"

"That would surely be a dream come true," said Piper. "The different cultures, knowledge and policies of our worlds would bring about a real utopia if they went hand-in-hand with each other."

"Just imagine," said Aerrow, "our worlds brought back together like they used to be, and neither side would ever be kept in the dark about the other." The Sky Knight took in a deep breath and then exhaled as he thought about the two worlds interacting in such a way. "Now _that_ is something I'd like to see."

Zuko leaned on the railing while taking in the sights. "I wonder if the people of each world would be able to accept each other if they ever did find out of their existence?"

"I think they will," said Aang. "After all, we're all living proof of that. And we could convince our people as the Avatar and the Fire Lord that what we've seen is definitely worthwhile."

"Yeah," added Junko. "And everyone in Atmos can take our word for it."

"All in all," said Aerrow, "I think we can make it work."

Radarr came up to join the others on the balcony. Seeing Aang and the others happy then put him in such a good mood. It made him feel like he wanted to jump into the air and fly. Just then, he chirped as he looked up and saw Momo flapping in the wind. The flying lemur let out a chirp while he was flying next to the _Condor_ in an effort to keep up with it.

The Sky Knight's co-pilot, seeing the feat from his fellow cohort, couldn't help but feel jealous. Seeing the ability to fly without a sky ride seemed like it was out of his reach—and yet he wanted to try it so badly. Radarr could only let out a saddened churr as he watched Momo do the one thing he was naturally born to do.

Aang got a glimpse at what Momo was doing and it soon gave him the urge to do the same. The Avatar thrust air from under his feet to jump down to Appa seated on the ship's runway. Rummaging through the saddle, Aang brought out his staff and converted it into his glider. Using his Airbending, the boy launched himself into the air and glided along with Momo and the _Condor_. A cheerful cry could be heard from Aang as he flew through the clouds and ended back with his friends.

Sokka was feeling somewhat bored over seeing nothing but sky throughout the entire journey. "So what's the first stop on our amazing vacation?"

"Come on, Sokka," said Katara. "When are you ever going to quit thinking about the destination and enjoy the scenery around you? We're probably the first people of our world to see Atmos in a long time, so you should feel proud of that."

The only response that came from her brother was a large yawn, which made Katara only groan in frustration and slap her hand to her forehead. She couldn't believe that her own brother could get bored so easily. She thought, _How am I related to someone so nut-brained?_

"Seriously," said Finn, "I'm with Sokka. I wanna go hit the sights and see what's been happening since we've been gone."

Piper could only roll her eyes and bring out a chart that she happened to carry with her to the balcony. "Well," she said, "according to our current location, we should be close to Terra Atmosia."

"Great," said Aerrow. "Then that'll be our first stop."

Aang and Momo were now finished with their gliding and so they landed back on the balcony with the others. The Avatar folded his glider back into his staff while his furry friend folded his wings back into his arms and rested on Aang's shoulders.

Aerrow turned on the communicator on his ear to signal his pilot. "Stork, set a course for Terra Atmosia."

Back in the bridge, Stork turned to the dials and locked in the coordinates for the destination hailed by his Sky Knight. He then returned to the steering mechanism and turned the _Condor_ to port. Everyone on the balcony stood and smiled as the ship rocked them when it turned. Soon they would both get their share of praise from the people they were about to meet when they arrived on the terra.

After passing through another cloud, the Storm Hawks all smiled when they found a terra just up ahead. The mountaintop kingdom was dominated with many buildings around its surface. But the most notable feature was a tall beacon tower that had a bright blue light shining from the top that was cast throughout the terra.

Aang got the feeling from the expressions on his friends' faces that this was where they were supposed to be. But still, he felt compelled to ask. "Is that the place?"

"Yup," replied Aerrow. "That's Terra Atmosia."

The _Condor_ flew right towards the terra, revealing itself to all the inhabitants down below as it whisked by them in the sky. Everyone could hardly contain their excitement to see the ship and knew that the people inside were back after so long.

One person stood by a lone tree in the middle of the town and saw the ship fly above her. After coming out of the shadows, the figure set her eyes wide and realized that the people she knew to be so brave to venture into the unknown had returned—and she would shower them with praise for what they had done for the people of Atmos.

The _Condor_ slowed down when it got just above a hill outside of the town, and then it slowly made its descent when its landing gear was deployed. The ship made a slight thud as it touched the ground and finally went silent when its crystal engine was shut off.

Back on the balcony, Aerrow turned to his friends and said, "All right. Now let's go down and see what's happening."

The others all happily nodded and walked in the _Condor_. The ramp on the side of the ship was activated and let everyone walk down the steps. Appa, still on the ship's runway, decided to hop off and land with a thud, making the others all shake from the vibrations the sky bison created.

"Well," said Stork, "I'll have to remember to keep my distance from Appa the next time he tries to do that."

The others all chuckled to themselves and headed down the hill towards the town. Immediately when they got to the edge of town, they all paused when they saw a giant crowd waiting for them. As soon as the Storm Hawks got up front, the people of Atmosia erupted into cheers.

Katara was confused by the people gathered before them. "What's this all about?"

"From what I can tell," answered Piper, "they're praising us for saving them all from the Cyclonians."

"Well, it's about time," said Finn. "Bein' recognized by the people is one of the perks I love about bein' part of a Sky Knight squadron."

"I'm not so sure we deserve their praise," said Aerrow. "I mean, after all, Cyclonis is still out there."

"Well, at least we kept them all safe," said Junko.

"Indeed, you did," said a female voice in a British accent.

The Storm Hawks all looked with brightened faces as they recognized who was speaking to them. A lone figure walked past the crowd and up to the heroes with a professional composure. She wore a simple yellow dress with purple shorts, brown boots covering purple knee-high stockings, brown fingerless gloves, and, like the Storm Hawks, pieces of armour covering various parts of her body. Her most notable features were her purple hair tied back into a ponytail hanging down the back of her head and her dark green eyes that were decorated with purple eye shadow.

"Starling!" said Piper. "It's so good to see you again."

"Likewise," said the purple-haired Sky Knight. "You've been gone for so long that I was just about to head out with a search party to find you." Starling couldn't help but give a small laugh at her own comment.

"Well, it's good to be back," said Aerrow.

Just then, Starling stared at the Avatar's group and suddenly got the idea that these people were different based on how they were dressed. "So," she said, "are you going to introduce me to your new companions?"

The boy Sky Knight looked back to see his friends. "Of course. These are our friends that are from the world parallel to ours."

Starling couldn't help but feel surprised at what the boy said. It sounded hardly real to her—but then she decided to believe what she was hearing. "Um, all right," she said. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you come across this?"

"A long time ago," Piper explained, "we fought against the Cyclonians in a fierce battle. They were planning on sending us to the other world using a dimension stone. In the process, the Cyclonians got transported along with us."

"And it was at that time we met Aang and all our other friends," added Aerrow. "We helped save their world from the Cyclonians and then went back to Atmos. After we returned from the Farside, we decided to pay our friends a visit. And here we are."

Starling nodded while she took in all the information. She then got another quick glance at the Avatar's group and saw them smiling at her. Even though she had no idea about this other world, she could already tell that these people were trustworthy. And if they were also allies with the Storm Hawks, then she didn't need any other explanation.

The female Sky Knight smiled back at the others and said, "All right, then. Any friends of the Storm Hawks are friends of mine." She then bowed to the group in welcoming. "My name is Starling, Sky Knight of the Interceptors of Terra Mesa." Even though her teammates were gone, Starling considered her squadron still existed as long as she was still alive and willing to protect those in need.

The boy Avatar got up to address himself. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Aang"—he pointed to his shoulders—"and this is Momo." A grumble could be heard behind the boy and he instantly knew who was joining in on the conversation. "And that's Appa."

Starling looked behind Aang and was left agape by the sheer size of the beast staring back at her. The giant head, horns, six legs, and arrow-shaped fur were both astounding and unimaginable to the woman that she had no idea what to make of him. At first she was a bit concerned for her own well-being, but then she saw the gentleness in his large eyes. To her, it made Appa seem like a giant teddy bear.

"Well," said Starling, "he certainly is... big and... furry."

The sky bison let out a low growl that almost startled the purple-haired woman.

"He probably took that as a compliment," Aang said jokingly.

The Water Tribe girl was the next one to face Starling. "I'm Katara." She was then interjected by her older brother, who had a goofy grin on his face. The young Waterbender just groaned in embarrassment and introduced him, knowing he was just going to make a fool of himself. "This is my brother, Sokka."

Sokka then gently took Starling's hand and held it out like he was about to kiss it. "It's so nice to meet you, milady. Might I say that you look absolutely enchanting in your armour plates?"

Starling only gave a slight chuckle to the teenage boy, thinking he was acting kind of silly in front of her. "Nice try, sweetheart," she said, "but you should really try that on a girl your own age."

The boy only frowned and let go of Starling's hand. All the others then let out fits of laughter upon seeing Sokka's failed attempt to flatter the woman.

"Can we pretend like this never happened?" said Sokka.

"You're just lucky that Suki wasn't around to see you do that," Katara said smugly.

The boy's eyes shot open with horror; the thoughts of what Suki would do to him if she found out were rather frightening to him. "Please don't tell her about this."

The blind girl was the next to face Starling. "Hey, I'm Toph," she said. "You seem nice, and I should let you know right now that I'm blind, but don't take pity on me."

"Thank you for the heads up," said Starling. "I'm sure a smart girl like you is able to take care of yourself."

Toph formed a huge grin on her face. "Glad we see eye-to-eye; figuratively, of course."

The last member then introduced himself. "And I am Fire Lord Zuko."

"Oh," said Starling. "I had no idea I was in the presence of royalty."

"Don't be worried. From what I've heard from Aerrow, your world sounds like an incredible place. I'm sure that he also has some great things to tell me about you."

With the introductions out of the way, Aerrow turned to his fellow Sky Knight. "So what's been happening since we've been gone?"

"Not much, really," replied Starling. "All we've been mostly doing is getting things back in order: Terra Glockenchime has its Timepulse going again, the Wallops are now trusting outsiders, and, as you can clearly see, the people of Atmos see you all as heroes."

The purple-haired woman directed her hands over to a tower situated across town, and the Storm Hawks looked up to see a flag flapping in the wind. It was white with the Storm Hawks insignia emblazoned in blue. Aerrow and his team all smiled to see that they were now recognized as the squadron they've been hoping to be for a long time. The crowd still gathered around them all cheered again to show their support.

"Wow," said Aerrow.

"Wow, indeed," said Piper.

"Yeah, but a flag?" said Finn. "I thought after saving Atmos we'd receive something better than that." An elbow from Piper directed at his stomach knocked the breath out of him.

"So," said Starling, "have you made any progress since going into the Farside?"

"No," Aerrow replied sadly. "We've tried desperately to find Cyclonis, but she's eluded us. The only reason we're back here is to refill our supplies." The second reason then suddenly came to him. "Oh, and to show our new friends our world."

"But Cyclonis is still going down," added Finn. "She can count herself lucky that we're on a break right now."

Stork slapped his palm over his face. "You _really_ think that this counts as luck?"

At that moment the crowd dispersed to give the Storm Hawks their privacy.

"Well," said Starling, "don't feel too bad about it. After all, you've come out unscathed from far worse situations than this. If you keep trying, I know you'll bring Cyclonis to justice." She then began to walk away from the group. "And right now, I have some personal business I must attend to. I'll be here if you need me. Farewell. And it was nice meeting you."

The group watched Starling walk away and enter a nearby building. The Storm Hawks knew that it was important since they recognized the building as the Sky Knight Council Hall.

"She seems like a great person," said Aang.

"She is," said Piper. "She's got to be my second-favourite Sky Knight of all time."

"Who's first?" asked Sokka.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Katara.

The Water Tribe boy scratched his head, having no clue as to whom she was saying. Slapping her hand over her forehead and rolling her eyes, Katara brought her free hand towards Aerrow.

Sokka looked and then smiled while nodding his head. "Oh!" he said. "Well, it _is_ kind of obvious if you think about it."

"Wow," said Stork. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you and Finn share the same brain."

"I heard that," Finn growled.

Changing the topic, Aerrow said, "So what's your first impression of Atmos so far?"

"It looks amazing," said Aang. "The way the people adore you is exactly how the people back home adore me as the Avatar."

"Yeah," said Toph. She rubbed her toes against the soil. "And the earth you've got here is much sturdier. I feel like my Earthbending could be stronger."

"It sure is great, isn't it?" said Junko. "I especially liked the part where Starling said that Wallops are trusting outsiders now."

"I'm sure you convinced them all, Junko," said Piper.

"Yeah. But I'll bet that helping to stop the Cyclonians was what really did it."

Zuko got the others' attention with the _Condor_ off in the distance behind him. "I can already tell that we're going to have a good time here."

No sooner did the Fire Lord say that when a large explosion was heard. The sound was so loud that all the people of Atmosia screamed in fright and ran to their homes. The group looked up to see that it came from the _Condor's_ hangar bay, and they could see the doors had a large hole blasted out with black smoke coming from inside.

"What was that?" said Finn.

Stork's face drooped when he saw his ship was damaged. "Never mind that!" he shouted. "Look what happened to my baby!"

Just then, they saw a lone figure fly out of the ship and levitate in the air. All the Storm Hawks set their faces into anger as they knew who it was.

"There's only one person who can cause something like that," said Aerrow. "Master Cyclonis!"

Indeed, Aerrow's suspicion was true. The figure in the air let out maniacal laughter as she came down to the ground and faced the Sky Knight squadron. Opening her hood, the Cyclonian ruler said, "Hello, Storm Hawks."

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><p>BlueTiger321: Holy moly! Cyclonis is back! =O<p>

Aerrow: Not for long!

Piper: She's going down so fast that it'll make her head spin!

Aang: We've got your back!

Katara: She's no match for all of us!

Cyclonis: Don't be so sure of yourselves. You've got no idea what I have in store for you!

BlueTiger321: Ahem! Well anyway, an action-packed chapter is coming up next, so stay tuned. Until next time...

Aerrow: Read and review!


	5. Chapter 5: Treachery

Chapter 5: Treachery

BlueTiger321: So, now we come to a chapter filled with action. And it's about time too, because I was kind of getting tired of all the friendship moments in this story—and I'm the author! Well, I won't delay it any longer. Enjoy! =)

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><p>The Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group all stood frozen where they were as Master Cyclonis slowly walked up to them, a wicked smile on her face and her dual-crystal staff clutched in her right hand. Her purple eyes seemed cold as ice and would paralyze anyone with fear if they looked directly into them.<p>

Aerrow couldn't believe his eyes: standing before him was the Cyclonian ruler, and the one responsible for all the trouble caused in Atmos. Well now he was going to fulfill his duties as a Sky Knight and punish this girl for everything she has done to all the innocent people who were affected by her malevolence.

All at once, the Storm Hawks drew their weapons and aimed them right at Cyclonis. Radarr only growled and did his best fighting pose. Aang and the others, meanwhile, got ready in their bending stances and/or also drew their weapons.

Aerrow momentarily looked behind him. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" said Toph. "We're gonna teach this witch a lesson she won't soon forget."

"But this isn't your battle," said Piper. "You shouldn't have to get involved."

"Cyclonis threatened our world, too," said Aang, "and we're not going to let her cause any more pain and suffering."

"That's right," said Zuko. "The way I see it, we're already involved in this."

Katara looked sternly at Cyclonis as she got closer. "Your enemy is our enemy, and we're going to settle the score."

Stork's entire body was shaking as he thought the most dangerous person he ever met was coming his way. "If it's okay with you," he said to Aerrow, "they can take my place in this fight."

"Here she comes!" said Junko before igniting his Knuckle Busters.

Master Cyclonis stopped a few feet from the group and set one end of her staff on the ground. Her gaze looked around to see her enemies teamed up with other people. That's when she recalled that they were the same group of people that joined the Storm Hawks when they crossed over into the parallel world. A short chuckle then escaped her lips, thinking it was futile to stop her no matter how many allies the Sky Knight squadron had.

"Well," said Cyclonis. "Aren't you glad to see me? And I must say that it's so sweet of you to bring your friends here to help. But do you honestly think you can stop me? You've tried so many times before that I'm starting to think you're not the so-called heroes you're supposed to be."

Just then, Sokka reached behind his back and pulled out his trusty boomerang. "Sneak attack!" he cried.

The boomerang was flung through the air and headed straight for Cyclonis. The girl only yawned and held up her free hand that made the boomerang stop in midair in front of her. Sokka was left puzzled by how it was done, but then he shrieked as Cyclonis shot out her hand and made the boomerang come hurling back his way.

Aang lifted his hands and grunted as he directed the air to catch the boomerang before it hit Sokka. The weapon then fell out of the sky and landed right by Sokka's feet with the pointed end sticking into the ground.

"I told you before: it's not a sneak attack if you shout 'Sneak attack'!" Aang said irritatingly.

Aerrow scowled at the girl. "You know what, Cyclonis? I am glad to see you. Travelling back through the door was something I'd hope you'd do so we could finally put a stop to your twisted ambitions. What you've done to the people of Atmos is unforgivable—and now you're going to pay for all the lives you've ruined!"

The only response the Sky Knight had gotten from his enemy was loud, unmitigated laughter. In her own mind, she thought it was suitable of her to do whatever she felt like in order to secure her control over Atmos. Meanwhile the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group were now growing more furious by the second over the constant noise of Cyclonis's unremorseful laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Cyclonis. "I have to admit that even _that_ was too much for me." The hilarity soon died, and the wicked girl resumed her composure. "So, what makes you think that you can stop me? You've tried so many times and the results have always been the same."

As Cyclonis was talking, Piper secretly reached behind her back and pulled out the crystals she used for Binding. The girl kept her face in a stern expression while she worked. All she needed to do was wait for the right moment to execute her plan.

The red-haired teen had just about enough of the girl's taunting. "You're forgetting one thing, Cyclonis: we're not alone!" he said. "You don't have any more of your lackeys to throw at us. Now you're just going to have to face us by yourself. Or is that impossible for a snide coward like you?"

Cyclonis narrowed her purple eyes and growled, "I'll show you who's the coward!" She then raised her staff and fired a violet crystal pulse headed straight for the Sky Knight.

Piper knew this was the right moment, so she brought out her crystals and shouted, "Storm's Fury!"

A yellow beam shot out of the crystals and struck Aerrow. The boy was soon covered in the same aura as he was filled with crystal energy. He then stretched his arms to the side of his body and unleashed a yellow shockwave. The attack collided with the crystal pulse and dispelled it and continued to travel towards Cyclonis. The girl opened her eyes in fright and tried to defend herself but was too late and so she took the attack in the chest and was knocked to the ground and grunted upon impact.

The action didn't stop as Cyclonis was struck into the air by a stalagmite raised by Toph. As Cyclonis levitated in the air, a flurry of bolts came at her shot by Finn. Each bolt was then bounced off when Cyclonis created a violet barrier around herself, but slowly each bolt began to wear down her defence when it made contact. Eventually, the barrier dissipated and left the girl vulnerable.

It was then that Katara and Zuko joined the assault. The young Waterbender brought out water from her carrier that was shot out in one huge blast that knocked Cyclonis out of the air and back down to the ground. The Fire Lord then shot a fire ball from each his fists that struck the ground near Cyclonis's feet. The girl hoped away from each attack, but Zuko then swung his right foot around and fired a long wave of flame, striking Cyclonis in her chest and forcing her to cry in agony from the searing heat.

Sokka ran up to the Cyclonian ruler with his black sword raised high. The two then locked into a furious battle of strength and dominance as they clashed their weapons together. Clangs could be heard as metal against metal were struck numerous times.

Sokka then gained the upper hand when he swung down low and drove his blade into the ground. Cyclonis was confused at first, but then the Water Tribe boy swiftly lifted his sword and sent up a cloud of soil directly into the girl's eyes. The attack blinded Cyclonis and made her stumble backwards in confusion. Sokka felt thankful for all his training with his master since he remembered that tactic from his duel.

Junko then ran forward and launched Cyclonis into the air with his Knuckle Busters, forcing her to scream in pain. The soil was already gone from her eyes, and she gasped when she saw Aang already in the sky with her. The Avatar quickly lowered his hands and used a gust of air to bring Cyclonis back down to the terra.

As Cyclonis plummeted to the ground screaming, Aerrow already intercepted her by clashing his daggers together and releasing a long blue wave of energy. The attack struck Cyclonis before she hit the ground and sent her sprawling away from the group.

Master Cyclonis slowly brought herself to her feet. Her breaths came out quick and furiously as she endured every attack. She was forced to lean on her staff for support and she looked at the group with malice in her eyes.

"Face it, Cyclonis!" said Aerrow. "You're outnumbered, outmatched, _and_ you're on our turf. You should just surrender while you have the chance."

"Who knows?" said Piper. "With good cooperation and behaviour, you might only get a life sentence in prison."

The last remark felt rather insulting to the Cyclonian ruler, and she wasn't going to let them get away with it. Just then, Cyclonis looked up in the sky and saw a gleam of hope. Her lips formed into the wicked smile she always used and she exhaled her most maniacal laugh. "Oh, I'm afraid that's not going to happen," she said, "and you're all about to find out why."

The Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group were both perplexed by what she just said, but then Aerrow thought he should take it seriously. He turned his head skyward and gasped upon the sight. "Look out!" he shouted.

The warning came too late as a red pulse came down and knocked everyone back when it made a small explosion upon hitting the ground. Everyone was sent back screaming from the attack and they all lied on the ground with minor injuries.

"Great," said Stork. "Now my ears will be ringing for the next two months."

Everyone watched and saw who had initiated the attack. There they all gasped when they saw the Dark Ace levitate down to the ground followed by Ravess, Snipe and the Raptors all on their sky rides.

Aerrow couldn't believe what he saw: his most hated adversary was directly in front of him after witnessing his demise weeks ago. The man walked up to the red-haired teen and looked directly in his eyes.

"Hello, Aerrow," said Dark Ace. "I'm back, and I've brought some friends with me."

"The Dark Ace?" Aerrow said in a shocked tone. "But... how?"

"In due time."

The Dark Ace then raised his hands and made Aerrow and his entire friends glow in a red aura that made them all shout in agony as they were forced to stay where they were. The attack even forced Appa and Momo down to the ground and prevented them from moving. Dark Ace already knew the Avatar's group from before but couldn't fathom why they were in Atmos. But that matter did not concern him at the moment; right now he had more important things to do.

Piper couldn't believe her eyes to see the Dark Ace wielding such power, almost like he and Master Cyclonis were equals. "What's going on?" she shouted.

"I can't move!" shouted Finn.

Cyclonis, meanwhile, came up with a relieved smile on her face. "Excellent work, my followers," she said. "You've served your master well."

Dark Ace then spun around and fired a red pulse at Cyclonis, knocking her back to the ground shouting. Ravess, Snipe and the Raptors all laughed at the deceit while Aerrow and the others were left stunned to see the Dark Ace attack his own master like she meant nothing to him.

Turning back to the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group, Dark Ace said, "I'll deal with you in a minute. Right now I have a personal vendetta."

Repton, meanwhile, looked at his brothers and said, "You three make sure there are no other do-gooder Sky Knights trying to stop us."

Hoerk, Lugey and Spitz all saluted their leader and headed off to find any other enemies who might try to impede their progress.

Cyclonis grunted and slowly got off the ground. "Dark Ace!" she shouted in a demanding tone. "What is the meaning of this?"

The Dark Ace turned to his former master with a malicious smile on his face. "Sorry, witch," he said. "I'm following my own ambitions now."

"What?" Cyclonis couldn't believe those words were coming out of the mouth of her most loyal follower. "How could you! I gave you everything you so desired!"

"Everything?" Dark Ace scoffed. "All you gave me was constant belittlement in my own abilities. When you finally had Atmos in your grasp, you wouldn't even give me the satisfaction of duelling Aerrow. All I ever wanted was to serve under you as your right-hand man. But now I see that I was nothing more than one of your meaningless pawns set out to follow your own goals without having a thought of my own.

"Well, I must thank you for one thing: giving me the ultimate power I need in order to usher in a new reign over Atmos. And it all starts when I defeat you!"

Cyclonis was shocked and could feel her legs shaking and her heart beating a mile a minute. Being cornered by her own followers had now made her truly terrified, and all her hopes of stopping her enemies were gone when the Dark Ace turned his back on her. Still, she felt compelled to try and reason with her other commanders.

"Ravess! Snipe!" plead Cyclonis. "Help me!"

"Help you? After you banished me and my brother?" said Ravess. "I don't think so. Who's to say that you won't turn us down just like you did last time? No. You've degraded us for the last time, Cyclonis."

"Yeah!" said Snipe. "Now it's time for you to step down and let the new guys take charge!"

Cyclonis looked at her former legions and gasped when she saw all three of them—the Dark Ace, Ravess, and Snipe—no longer had the Cyclonian insignia on their armour plates but instead had skulls with red eyes. Now the once-proud Cyclonian ruler was forced to back away from her new enemies as they drew closer.

"How pathetic," said Repton. "I never imagined that you, of all people, would cower before us." He then laughed as he marvelled in its pleasure like a schoolyard bully taking dominance over a helpless child.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," added Dark Ace. "Since you're no longer in control, you won't have any further use of your power."

The man lifted his hand and surrounded Cyclonis's staff with a red aura. The girl could then feel her own weapon was being drawn away from her and she struggled as best she could, but she was forced down to the ground on her stomach when the staff was pulled out of her clutches. Upon reaching the Dark Ace, he grabbed hold of the staff and then concentrated as his eyes glowed red. The crystal on each tip of the staff then glowed as their energy was drained and directed into Dark Ace's body.

Aerrow and the others could hardly believe that the Dark Ace could wield such incredible power. If he was capable of committing something like this, then they would have an extremely difficult time trying to stop him.

When all the crystal energy was drained, the Dark Ace then brought his hands to each tip of Cyclonis's weapon and grunted as he squeezed it together. Both crystals shattered from the force and the metal was crunched together until the staff was now a large ball of scrap.

The former Cyclonian ruler gasped and looked on with a fearful expression as she saw her power, her authority, and her aspirations all disappear in an instant.

But Dark Ace wasn't finished; there was still one thing left to do. He dropped the broken staff, turned to Cyclonis and said, "I know how much you enjoy studying crystals. So I think I'll leave you in one place where you'll be surrounded by crystal forever."

Raising his hands, the Dark Ace then brought them down and fired a red beam. The attack struck Cyclonis and made her shout with pain as she was engulfed with light. The others were all forced to close their eyes to shield their vision until it was finally gone.

The Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group all gasped at the unbelievable sight. There before them was Cyclonis trapped in a prison made of red crystal. The girl was frozen with a horrified appearance on her face. It reminded Aerrow of the time when Cyclonis trapped Sky Knights in a crystal prison when she took over Atmos, and even he thought it was too cruel a fate for anyone, whether good or evil, to be cast on them.

Aerrow looked up at the Dark Ace with rage in his eyes. "That's low, Dark Ace," he shouted, "even for you!"

The man turned back around to look at the helpless people before him. Now, he thought, he would get to initiate the second part of his revenge, and, best of all, it would involve the boy Sky Knight who so many times defeated him whenever they crossed paths.

"So sorry to keep you waiting," said the Dark Ace. "But now that that piece of business is out of the way, I can finally have some quality time with you."

"I don't understand," said Piper. "We saw you disappear right before our eyes. How did you come back? And how did you get such devastating power?"

Dark Ace laughed to himself, happy to oblige the girl with the answers to her questions. "Well," he said, "if you must know, the crystal energy Cyclonis infused me with is what did it. It's unlike anything I've ever felt. All I have to do is will something to be done and there it is. If you thought that wretched Cyclonis was bad, then you haven't seen anything like this.

"I do have to thank you for coming to Terra Atmosia. You've saved us the trouble of having to hunt you down. And what's more, you've even brought your friends from that other world. I don't know how you managed to do that, but that's not important. What is important is that now you'll all have the opportunity of joining Cyclonis."

The man then raised his hands and summoned his power to do his bidding once more, making his palms glow with red energy. The group could do nothing but grunt while they continued to resist Dark Ace's hold on them.

Dark Ace and his followers all laughed as they would finally get to see the Sky Knight squadron finally fall, and they thought that nothing else would stand in their way in their conquest of Atmos.

All of a sudden, Dark Ace was knocked forward as a pulse of purple energy struck his back. The attack made him yelp with pain and made him lose his control over the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group. Seeing they were no longer covered in the aura, Aerrow and his friends stood up to see who their saviour was.

Standing a few feet behind the Dark Ace was Starling, and she smirked while she held up her nunchucks ignited with purple crystal energy at the tips.

"Perfect timing," said Aerrow.

Starling nodded to her fellow Sky Knight. "I would've arrived sooner but I had a slight lizard problem." The woman directed a thumb behind her and revealed Spitz, Lugey and Hoerk all lying together in a pile groaning in pain, their bodies bruised and stars spinning around their heads.

The Dark Ace and his followers turned around to see the Sky Knight stand behind them. Repton saw his brothers lying defeated and slapped his hand over his eyes, thinking it was typical that his lackeys could screw up a simple task.

Ravess, meanwhile, notched a firebolt crystal arrow on her bow. "So glad you could join us."

Toph could sense what was about to happen, so she quickly slammed her foot on the ground to make a slab of earth rise beneath Ravess. The attack made Ravess lose her balance and knocked her off her feet, making her fire her arrow into the sky.

Piper brought out her crystals again and pointed them to Aerrow. "Speed of Light!"

A red beam was directed at the Sky Knight and covered him in the energy. Immediately he quickly ran off in a blur that was invisible to the naked eye. Aerrow rushed off and quickly slashed with his daggers at Ravess, Snipe and Repton. The three could only take the hits as Aerrow's attacks were so fast that they had no time to defend themselves.

But the Dark Ace smirked and held up his hand, thinking this was a worthless attempt from the boy. Making his hand glow with a red light, the Dark Ace managed to halt Aerrow in midair just as the Sky Knight was about to slash at the former elite Talon. A chuckle came out of Dark Ace when he saw Aerrow try his best to escape the energy surrounding him.

"You may have the speed," said Dark Ace, "but _I_ have the power!" A red blast of energy then erupted from his hand that knocked Aerrow back a few feet and made him drop his weapons.

"Aerrow!" shouted Katara.

The others tried to rush in to save the boy but instead were blocked by a volley of arrows that came from Ravess after she quickly recovered from the assault.

The Dark Ace slowly walked up to the boy Sky Knight, savouring the moment when he would finally put an end to all of Aerrow's interference. To the man, the only thing that would make it better is if he got the chance to do it over and over again.

"No!" cried Piper, watching her friend. The girl felt truly helpless to save her friend as she was preoccupied by the shots coming from Ravess, Snipe and Repton.

The Dark Ace now stood over Aerrow and he grinned with such pleasure. "Goodbye, Aerrow," he said, raising his fist and making it glow red.

Suddenly, a loud growl could be heard that made the man stop what he was doing. He looked up and saw Appa coming down next to him. The sky bison then slapped his tail to the ground and unleashed a giant gust of air that knocked away the Dark Ace as well as his followers.

Two different chirping sounds could then be heard from behind the beast's head. Aerrow looked up to see Radarr giving the boy a salute and Momo coming up next to him.

"Good job, you guys," said the Sky Knight.

Aerrow knew that they were no match for the Dark Ace in their current state. He didn't want to admit it but he was left with no alternative—he had to escape with his team and get to safety. It was for their good and to protect the people of Terra Atmosia.

"Everyone, back to the _Condor_!" the red-haired teen ordered.

Without hesitation, Aerrow and his team all nodded and ran back towards the hill. Starling knew the situation was dire, so she joined with the Storm Hawks in their retreat.

The Dark Ace scowled, knowing he wasn't going to let his enemies get away so easily. "After them!" he shouted.

Snipe was the first to respond, and so he brought out his firebolt crystal-studded mace and leapt into the air with a furious battle cry. Aang saw the burly man was about to drop down on him, so he swung his hands around and used his Airbending to create a small tornado in front of him. Snipe, seeing the trap laid out for him, screamed in fright as he landed right on the tornado and was spun around for a few seconds before being sent skyward again and landing hard on the ground.

The Avatar rejoined his friends as they were almost on the hill. Zuko paused before the hill's summit and watched the enemy group closing in on them, their weapons drawn and their faces full of rage. Thinking fast, the Fire Lord shouted and directed his hands to the ground and blasted fire from his palms that he spread across the field. The ground was now burning furiously in a line before Zuko just as the Dark Ace was drawing closer. At the last second, Zuko used his Firebending to command the flame to create a giant wall that forced the enemies to stop in their tracks. This gave the Fire Lord just the time he needed to run off with his friends.

Dark Ace grunted with fury and used his power to blow away the fire wall just to see the _Condor_ rise into the sky along with Aang riding Appa and Starling on her sky ride, the _Red Streak_. The man only smirked as he saw them take off into the sky.

"Get to your rides!" shouted Dark Ace.

* * *

><p>Back on the <em>Condor<em>, everyone sighed with relief once they were in the safety of their own ship. The last battle left them all battered and exhausted and they were glad to be given a reprieve.

"That was a close one," said Junko.

"You said it," said Finn.

"It's not over yet," said Aerrow.

Everyone got up to see what he meant, and they all gasped in fright when they saw the Dark Ace coming after them, using his own power to fly without the need of a sky ride. He was joined with Ravess, Snipe and the Raptors all on their sky rides.

"Now what do we do?" said Sokka.

Meanwhile, Aang, still riding Appa, already devised a plan. He stood up on the saddle with his palms stretched out and used his Waterbending to bend the clouds around him and the _Condor_ so they were camouflaged. The Dark Ace and his followers all grunted furiously over heading into the clouds and finding no sign of the ship.

Everyone inside the _Condor_ then shouted with praise for Aang's ingenuity.

"That's one clever boy," said Starling.

"This is our chance," said Aerrow. "Punch it, Stork!"

"No need to tell me twice," said the Merb.

Pushing on the ship's throttle, Stork made the _Condor_ travel at high speed with Aang and Appa not far behind it. The clouds then dissipated around the ship and the Dark Ace saw his enemies escape with their lives.

"Should we go after them?" asked Ravess.

"No," replied Dark Ace. "Let them go."

"What?" said Repton. "But we're not just going to let them do as they please."

"We'll deal with them when the time comes," said Dark Ace. "Right now, we should concentrate on what's really important." The man only smiled as he clenched his fist and made it glow with red energy.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Oh no! Cyclonis is out of the picture, but now the Dark Ace is gonna rule Atmos!<p>

Dark Ace: That's right. You should all get used to it!

Aerrow: Don't count on it, _Dork Ace_!

Dark Ace: Oh, real original. Like I haven't heard that one before.

BlueTiger321: Well folks, another interesting chapter is on its way. So until next time...

Aerrow: Read and review!


	6. Chapter 6: The Stowaway

Chapter 6: The Stowaway

BlueTiger321: Uh oh! Now the Storm Hawks have definitely got their work cut out for them. Let's see how they're going to handle this.

* * *

><p>The <em>Condor<em> flew in silence through the skies once it and its passengers were out of harm's way. Their previous encounter with the Dark Ace and his new alliance had completely destroyed their plans of having a peaceful vacation. All they could do for right now was to contemplate on their next move to save Atmos.

Appa, still riding through the skies, touched down on the runway and stood still while Aang jumped off and landed on the balcony. The Avatar was grateful for his animal companion to save Aerrow like he did, and now he was going to reward Appa with some rest while he would talk with his friends.

Aang walked into the _Condor_, leaving the sky bison outside and growl to himself as he rested his large head on the runway and drift off to sleep while the ship would carry him.

Once inside, Aang got a look at his friends and could see disheartened faces on all of them. Their loss at the hands of the Dark Ace lowered their morale in such a way that it looked like none of them were up for talking. Aang knew he had to lighten their spirits someway—he wasn't going to let his friends continue their sorrow, not when so much was at stake.

"So," said Aang, "what's going to happen now?"

"I'm not sure," replied Aerrow. "I mean, this is a major catastrophe. The Dark Ace has returned and he's more powerful than ever."

"But we have to stop him," said Piper. "There's no way we can just let him take over Atmos."

"Seriously?" said Finn. "If I wasn't afraid to face him before, then I'm definitely afraid now. The Dark Ace now is like him in the Suit of Untold Vengeance times a gazillion!"

Stork shivered all over, both at the mention of the Dark Ace possessing the suit along with the time when Finn wouldn't stop obsessing over the puzzle he bought on Terra Saharr. They were both memories he would like to forget.

"Come on, you guys," said Katara. "There's got to be something we can do."

"I just don't know anymore," said Aerrow. "I've never gone up against anything like this. Even the Binding couldn't stop Dark Ace. To be honest, I'm not even sure we'll succeed."

Hearing the words from their Sky Knight had now put the rest of the Storm Hawks in an even worse mood. They dropped their faces and looked down in defeat. If their leader could see no hope, then it truly was the end for them.

Starling couldn't believe her ears. The Sky Knight squadron she had come to know and respect were now quitting over one loss. Now she was going to tell them what she thought. "Is this really it? The Storm Hawks are just going to throw in the towel after one loss at the hands of the enemy?"

"Didn't you see what the Dark Ace did?" said Junko. "He pulverized us without breaking a sweat."

"Irrelevant," replied Starling. "That's not the attitude of a Sky Knight squadron! We're supposed to be protecting Atmos from whatever threat that shows its ugly head." Her direction was then focused on Aerrow. "When you were knighted, you took an oath that you would do whatever it takes to defend the people. And even though the Sky Knight Council doubted you at first, you proved them wrong by going to Cyclonia and preventing every terra from being obliterated."

Now Starling was turning to the rest of the team. "You're all here today because you've beaten the odds many times before. This situation is no different than the times you've faced off against your foes. If you can't see a way of stopping the Dark Ace, then you find a way.

"Every person on Atmos is putting all their faith and trust in you, because you are the ones who saved them from Master Cyclonis. If you really think that it's hopeless, then you're letting them all down. Is that what you really want?"

The Storm Hawks were all left speechless by the words of encouragement told to them by Starling. They knew she was right: giving up now would be turning their back on all the people they were sworn to protect.

Aerrow set his face into determination just as Radarr jumped onto his back and held on to the boy's shoulders. "No," said Aerrow. "I don't want that at all. A true Sky Knight would go down in history as someone who defended Atmos until the very end!"

"That's right," said Piper. "We took on the role of the Storm Hawks for that very purpose. We haven't given up before, and we're not going to give up now."

Finn ran a hand through his hair and said, "Well, I'm always up for a challenge."

"I'm not gonna back down anytime soon," said Junko.

Stork pondered for a moment. "We're all gonna die anyway," he said. "So we might as well go down fighting... no matter how bleak it looks."

Starling smiled. Her pep talk had managed to get the Storm Hawks out of their foul mood and she was glad to see her friends were going to take action. "Well, you won't have to do this one by yourselves."

"That's right," said Sokka. "We've also got your back."

"You helped protect our world," said Zuko, "so now it's our turn to help protect yours."

Toph cracked her knuckles. "If it means I'll be able to slap those jerks around, then I'm up for it."

Katara came up to the red-haired teen and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder along with Radarr's hand. "We're here to help you in any way," she said. "No matter what it takes, we'll make sure that your world is safe."

"As the Avatar," said Aang, "I'm sworn to make sure that there's balance in my world. I'll see to it that there's balance in Atmos as well."

Aerrow looked at all his friends. Their support was just the thing he needed in order to make this situation a lot better. The boy rubbed his chin with his fingers and looked upward, thinking of how they were going to carry out their mission. Then, he already thought of what they should do.

"All right," said Aerrow, and backed away from Katara. "The Dark Ace better watch out, because he's going to get a big surprise from the Storm Hawks!"

Immediately, everyone thrust their fists into the air and shouted with enthusiasm. The road ahead would be difficult, but they had the support of each other to light the way. Once everyone calmed down, they then talked about what to do next.

"Before we do anything," said Piper, "we should go down to the hangar bay to check on the door to the Farside."

"You're probably right," said Starling. "Since Master Cyclonis came back that way, we should check to see if there's the possibility of gaining anything we can from the Farside that will help us."

"Let's head down there," said Aerrow. "Stork, set a course to Terra Neverlandis; we should be safe there for the time being."

The Merb nodded to his Sky Knight and piloted the _Condor_ to the destination. The rest of the group then walked out of the bridge and headed for the ship's hangar bay.

The doors leading into the hangar bay opened once the sensors had picked up the presence of the Storm Hawks, the Avatar's group, and the Interceptor. They then had a look around and saw the Storm Hawks' sky rides parked along with the _Red Streak_. What really got their attention was the gaping hole on the hangar bay's door at the end with charred markings around the edges. Everyone knew that was Cyclonis's doing when she arrived.

"_That's_ gonna take a while to fix," said Junko.

"I'm pretty sure that's the least of our problems right now," said Piper. She then pointed to her right. "Look!"

Everyone turned to face her direction, and there they saw the door to the Farside reduced to a smouldering wreck. The frame was twisted down while smoke rose from the incinerated parts.

"Oh no!" said Aerrow. "Cyclonis must've destroyed it when she came out. But why?"

"It was probably to ensure we couldn't enter it and find some Farside technology to use against her," said Piper.

Finn threw his hands upward in frustration. "Well, there goes that plan."

"It's probably for the best," said Aerrow. "We may not be able to go into the Farside anymore, but at least it will never fall into the wrong hands again."

While the others were talking, Toph paused when she felt an unfamiliar vibration against the metal floor. _Odd_, she thought. It was like someone or something was with them.

"You know," said Starling, "I've been meaning to ask. You're friends handled themselves extremely well against the Dark Ace's forces. How were they able to use those powers?"

"You mean our Bending?" said Aang.

"Bending? Is that what it's called?"

"Yes," replied Katara. "In our world, Bending is a style of martial arts that we use to control one of the four elements, each related to where we live. Aang is the Avatar, which means he's able to Bend all of them."

Starling only blinked while she tried to understand what she was being told. "Um, okay," she said. "I think I've got the basic idea of it."

Aerrow turned his attention to Aang. "I've been thinking about that. Aang, I was wondering if you and everyone else could—"

"Uh, guys?" Toph interjected. "I don't mean to alarm you, but we're not alone!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and opened their eyes in shock. The ones who did know of Toph's ability to see through vibrations in the earth—or anything that was made from earth, including metal—knew to trust her instinct from the tone of her voice. Starling wasn't entirely sure how Toph could know about this since she remembered Toph specifically told her she was blind. Then the Sky Knight decided to accept this fact since she had already seen so many strange things today.

"Where is it?" said Aang.

"I don't know," replied the blind girl. "Whatever or whoever it is keeps moving around the ship. It's hard to keep track of it."

"What's the last location where you felt it?" asked Piper.

Toph concentrated hard, trying to feel the vibration of the intruder. Through her vision she could feel everything on the ship: all the people standing next to her, every object in its place, and the entire ship's frame. Nothing seemed out of place to her, until a footstep came down to the floor and sent the vibration throughout the _Condor_.

"It's on the other end of the ship!" said Toph.

"The engine room," said Aerrow, knowing the exact location. The red-haired teen turned his eyes to the intercom in the hangar bay and hailed his pilot. "Stork, there's a possible threat on the _Condor_. Maintain our speed and destination, but keep an eye out and make sure that whoever's here doesn't try to take control."

"_Oh, that's just great_," Stork said over the intercom. "_As if I didn't have enough worries about the Dark Ace coming back. Now you're telling me that someone snuck aboard my ship? I'll have to set way more traps and sterilize the whole ship once this is over_."

"Is he always that dramatic about this ship?" asked Sokka.

"After a while, you hardly notice it," replied Finn.

"Come on," said Aerrow. "It's time to show our stowaway that nobody gets on the _Condor_ without a visit from us!"

The group all rushed out of the hangar bay and headed down the hallway for the engine room. Aerrow led the way and made a few turns until they were finally there before the giant doors. The Storm Hawks all knew the engine room was behind them and they all drew their weapons.

Before they got there, Aerrow held up his hand to slow down the others. He then put a finger over his lips and shushed everyone while he tiptoed over the floor. The others knew it was so they would not make the mysterious person aware of their presence so they followed the boy Sky Knight's example.

Unbeknownst to the group, a figure came out of the shadows from the other end of the hall and saw at the rear Momo flapping his wings behind the others. A cheerful grin formed on the person's face while he tipped his hat and stealthily made his way down the hall.

Once the group was finally closing in on the door, Aerrow tilted his head towards it to bring his team closer. Aerrow, Piper and Radarr leaned on the left side while Finn and Junko leaned on the right side. The Sky Knight knew how to approach this, so he held up his hand and counted up with his fingers to three.

The last number was given, and so the Storm Hawks rushed into the room once the doors opened with the others falling behind. They all got a look in the engine room to see what they were supposed to find. Much to everyone's chagrin, nothing seemed out of place: the engine crystals were still turning as they performed their duty, and the furnace continued to provide heat throughout the ship. It seemed like nothing had stirred in this room and there seemed to be no indication of any strange presence.

"I knew I felt something here," said Toph.

"Maybe that person had moved once they saw us," said Katara.

"Good point," said Aerrow. "We can cover more ground if we split up."

Everyone was about to nod to the plan when they all heard a screeching noise. They all ran out of the room to see Momo was making the sounds, and he was trying his best to fly away but someone from the shadows had grabbed onto his tail and pulled him into the darkness.

"Momo!" cried Aang.

The flying lemur had vanished, and everyone resumed the chase. They watched the dark figure run down the hallway trying to lose its pursuers. Aerrow knew it was futile for this person to try to escape since this was his team's ship and nobody knew it better than they did. Still the chase continued with the mysterious figure not showing any signs of stopping.

Piper looked up ahead while hearing Momo's screech. She then saw the figure head into a room. "He's going into the kitchen!"

"Now we've got him cornered!" said Aerrow.

The group all hastily ran down to the _Condor's_ kitchen just before the doors shut on them once the figure entered with Momo. Aerrow got the doors opened once he stepped up to them and drew his daggers, igniting the blades. Now he was going to make this person pay not only for finding his way onto the ship, but also for abducting one of his friends.

Aerrow leapt into the room and shouted, "Show yourself!"

The entire kitchen was dark once the boy Sky Knight entered. The others quickly ran inside and Piper immediately found the light switch. Once everyone's vision was clear, they saw the intruder.

Standing before the group was a well-built man dressed in a tan shirt and shorts with brown boots adorning his feet. He had a few accessories: a belt carrying a pouch, bracelets on his wrists (the left one gold and the right one brown), and a gold ring on his left ring finger. His short blonde hair stuck out of his brown Fedora hat while his bluish-green eyes looked around the room, and a short goatee sat on the middle of his chin. The man held Momo in his right hand, making the flying lemur struggle from his grasp.

Aerrow immediately narrowed his eyes in fury at the sight of this man. "Domiwick!" he shouted.

Domiwick only smiled at the group. "In the flesh," he replied.

The other Storm Hawks all shared in Aerrow's anger. They knew this man from experience that he was nothing but trouble, and they were always the ones who had to see to his waywardness.

"You know this guy?" asked Zuko.

"We sure do," replied Piper. "You're looking at I. J. Domiwick: the most pretentious, ignorant, self-centered scumbag in all of Atmos!"

"That's right, and now I'm back!" Domiwick raised himself up for all to see in order for them to bask in his glory. "Happy to see me?"

Aerrow sneered at the man, thinking if Domiwick wasn't arrogant enough then he certainly earned himself the right to call him that after that snooty performance.

"How did this creep get here anyway?" said Finn, still aiming his crossbow.

"My guess is that he came through the door after Cyclonis opened it for him," said Piper.

"So what if I did?" said Domiwick. "All that matters now is that I'm back and I get to share my glorious expedition to the Farside with Atmos."

"I don't think anyone would be happy to see you," said Piper, "especially after you worked with the Cyclonians to find the Forbidden City!"

"Or when you put all of Terra Aquanos in danger by releasing those monsters!" said Aerrow.

"You're surrounded, Domiwick," said Starling. "Just give up and you'll save yourself a world of pain."

Aang wasn't going to take this waiting any longer. "Let go of Momo!"

The boy was about to make his move when Domiwick pulled up a sabre and ignited it, charging the blade with yellow crystal energy and holding it close to Momo. Aang was forced to stop where he was and take a step back with a worried expression on his face. Now that the man was threatening his friend, his body was filled with more fury.

"Stay back, or the monkey gets it!" said Domiwick.

The group was forced to do as they were told or else risking Momo getting hurt. It made them all furious for what the arrogant man was doing.

"You know, Domiwick," said Piper, "I never thought you'd resort to threatening others just to get your way. You've officially sunken to a brand new low!"

"Mock me all you want," said the man, "but this is my chance to finally make an even greater discovery."

"What do you mean?" said Katara. "And how does it involve Momo?"

Domiwick merely scoffed at the girl's comment. "I couldn't care less about this flea-bitten mongrel. No. I heard about all of you talking about a world parallel to Atmos. And you're all going to take me there so I can make a new discovery! I'll become rich and famous beyond my wildest dreams!"

As Domiwick talked, he brought his arms behind him and knocked over a jug of water sitting by the sink. The jug fell to the floor and spilt the water. Katara looked at this and then got an idea while she gave the man her attention to as not to arouse suspicion. If he wanted to see something from her world, then she'll gladly give it to him.

"So what do you say, Storm Hawks?" said Domiwick. "Want to join me in my ultimate quest for glory?"

In that instant, Katara raised her hands and forced the water on the floor to hit Domiwick in the face. The man was momentarily stunned as he stumbled back into the counter. Momo could feel the grip around his body was loose, so he stuck his head out and bit down on Domiwick's hand, making the man cry out in pain and let go of the flying lemur.

Aang saw his friend fly back to the group, so he took this chance to jump up and land next to Domiwick where he thrust his hands out and blasted him with a gust of air. Domiwick screamed as he was thrown across the kitchen and landed on the floor while dropping his sabre.

Aerrow immediately rushed in and held his daggers in front of Domiwick's face, making the man look angrily at him. "This ends now, Domiwick!" said the boy.

The man only smirked while he secretly reached into his pouch and pulled out a small yellow crystal. "Think again!" he said.

Domiwick threw the crystal at the group where it exploded in a bright flash of light. Everyone was forced to cover their eyes from the blindness, except for Toph who could feel Domiwick already making his escape. The blind girl tried to get an attack in, but Domiwick was already on his feet and ran out the door, pushing his way past the group in the process.

The light had already faded and everyone saw that Domiwick and his sabre were gone.

"He's heading down to the right," said Toph.

"Let's go after him!" said Aerrow.

The group chased after Domiwick down the hallway. Immediatey they spotted him stopped at a wall deciding where to go. Aerrow had no choice but to initiate an attack plan since they knew how dangerous this man was.

"Fire!" said the Sky Knight.

Aerrow, Piper, Finn and Starling all fired attacks from their weapons that were headed straight for their target. Domiwick quickly turned his back and ducked down to his left when the attacks hit the wall and barely left a dent. He then looked up to see Junko come down emitting a battle cry with his Knuckle Busters ready. Domiwick slid his feet against the floor and stood up before the Wallop brought down his fists and put a good-sized hole in the floor.

Domiwick got back to his feet and ran down the hallway again.

Toph was already there to intercept the man. With a sly grin, she pounded her fists against the metal floor. The result was a small tremor-like rumble around the hallway that momentarily shook the ship. Domiwick wobbled from the attack and tried to gain control of his footing when he tripped and landed face first on the floor.

The Atmosian explorer rolled to his side and saw Sokka about to bring down his blade on his body. Thinking fast, Domiwick blocked with his sabre and used his superior strength to push against the blade. Sokka was knocked down onto his rear where he was pushed aside by Domiwick once he saw his chance to escape.

"We'll never catch him like this," said Starling. "We need to come up with a new plan."

Piper thought hard and then an idea already came to her. She pulled out her Binding crystals and pointed them at Aerrow. "Speed of Light!" she cried.

The red beam came at the boy Sky Knight and covered him in the aura. Now he was ready to capture the intruder and make him pay for what he had done.

Domiwick kept running down the halls, taking in deep breaths both from exhaustion and from narrowly escaping the attacks on him. He eventually looked down the other end of the hall and couldn't see anyone coming after him. Now he thought he could finally get to initiate his ultimate goal.

Just then, a blur whizzed in front of him and made him gasp in fright. It then turned out to be Aerrow who gave the man a pleasant smile.

"Now you're in real trouble," said the Sky Knight.

Aerrow then used his incredible speed to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks at Domiwick. The man could not see the attacks coming and so he grunted with pain as each hit landed on his body with ferocity. Eventually, Aerrow hit Domiwick with an uppercut and sent him sprawling into a door that opened up for the man where he slid through the room on his back.

Domiwick sat up after the assaults, groaning in pain. But then he caught a glimpse of the room and saw it was the bridge. The pilot, Stork, was too busy at the controls performing his duties to his ship to pay any notice to anything else. Domiwick smirked, thinking he was in the right place.

Aerrow went into the room just as the aura finally faded from his body. The others all ran up to join him on the bridge of the _Condor_. They got a look inside and all gasped when they saw Stork was now being held hostage by Domiwick. The Merb was trapped in a headlock with Domiwick holding his sabre close to Stork's face. All Stork could do was cry out in worry as the crystal-charged blade was close to his face.

"Well," said Domiwick, "it looks like now we're in the same situation as before. And this time you're all going to do as I say!"

Domiwick then emitted arrogant laughter while the others could only watch furiously. They certainly weren't going to let him have his way, not with what they just went through to put an end to his outrageous objective.

Stork looked up after he finished screaming and saw that the ship's levers were close to him. Knowing that Domiwick wasn't paying him much attention, the Merb lifted his three-toed foot, grabbed onto one of the levers, pulled down, and ducked his head.

The sound of moving gears then filled Domiwick's ears, and then he grunted as he was thrown backward by a punching glove on the end of a steel bar. The man was thrown to the floor and let go of Stork and dropped his sabre.

"I'm _really_ glad I put in that trap," said Stork.

Domiwick tried to get up, rubbing his head and feeling that his hat had been knocked out. He was about to get to his feet when a flame was held before his face. The man was forced to stay put or else suffer serious burns.

"Don't move!" said Zuko, holding the flame in his palm.

Aang then came over to the arrogant man and lifted him off the floor with his Airbending. Domiwick struggled as air kept him suspended off the floor. No matter how much he tried, the air kept him in place so he would have no chance of getting away. Katara then stood next to the Avatar and commanded water out of her carrier where she wrapped Domiwick in it below his neck. The man could feel his clothes getting wet until the Waterbender transformed it into ice. Aang gently set Domiwick back down to the floor, trapped in a frozen tomb.

"You can't do this to me!" said Domiwick. "Let me go!"

Aerrow looked down at the man while crossing his arms. "The only place where _you're_ going is Atmosia Stockade Prison."

Radarr got up close to Domiwick and growled angrily while bearing his teeth. The man only gulped nervously and realized that there was no way out of this situation.

Stork got back to the controls and checked the coordinates. He then looked out the front window to make sure they were correct, and he smiled at what he saw. "We're approaching Terra Neverlandis!"

Everyone got a look out of the window, and there they saw a flat, grassy terra that had a lone tree standing near the northern edge along with a makeshift fort standing under it that looked like it was made by children. The Storm Hawks all knew this was the place of their old hideout, Terra Neverlandis.

The _Condor_ made a soft landing on the terra. Once the ramp was extended down, everyone walked down to look out at their safe haven.

"So what is this place?" asked Sokka.

"This is where we used to hang out," replied Aerrow. "And it's also the place where we became the Storm Hawks."

"Wow," said Katara. A thought then occurred to her. "Do you think we'll be safe from the Dark Ace here?"

"Honestly," said Piper, "there's no guarantee we will be, but at least here we'll be safe for the time being."

"So now that we're here," said Aang, "what's our next move?"

Aerrow was glad that his friend asked that question. It was going to be a bold move but he hoped that his plan would be something his friends could do for him and his team. Walking up to the Avatar, he said, "Well, before Domiwick showed up, I was going to ask you one thing."

The boy turned to the red-haired teen. "What's that?"

"If we're going to face off against the Dark Ace again, then we're going to have to combine our forces together and give him something he'll never expect. Aang, this may be a long shot, but could you and the others teach us how to use Bending?"

Aang and the others all gasped at the request; it was something that none of them ever expected.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Ooh! Can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter, eh?<p>

Aerrow: I know I'm looking forward to it.

Piper: This should be fun.

Finn: Awesome!

Junko: All right! Yeah!

Domiwick: Could someone let me out of here?

Storm Hawks: SHUT UP!

BlueTiger321: Well folks, I hope this leaves you begging for more. So, until next time...

Storm Hawks: Read and review!


	7. Chapter 7: A Startling Find

Chapter 7: A Startling Find

BlueTiger321: Hi everyone, and welcome to the next chapter. I just went through a heat wave in my hometown right now, but I'm still able to put everything I have into this story, though I'm sure none of you couldn't care less about my petty problems. Well I'm trying my best, so there! =( So, after a bit of chasing down a pompous jerk, the Storm Hawks are now going to begin their plans to save Atmos. Let's see how things will turn out for them.

* * *

><p>After finally hearing Aerrow's plan and giving it some thought, Aang spoke up. "Are you serious? You actually want to learn Bending?"<p>

"Of course," replied Aerrow. "I wouldn't say this if I wasn't serious. The way you guys Bend is incredible, and it's just what we need in order to take down the Dark Ace. I don't think even he will be able to resist the powers of the elements themselves. If we're all able to do it, then he won't stand a chance. So what do you say?"

Aang and the other Benders looked stern at the red-haired teen. They really needed time to think of how to explain this to the rest of their friends. Aerrow, meanwhile, looked sternly at them while also watching his teammates and Starling. They were also left speechless by his plan. Aerrow was hoping that they didn't think his endeavour was frivolous—especially with the fate of Atmos on the line.

Katara was then the first one to speak. "I don't know about this, Aerrow," she said. "I mean, it took us years to learn how to Bend, and we don't know how much time we have until the Dark Ace tries to take over your world."

"It wasn't all that difficult for Aang," said Sokka. "He was able to master all four elements within a year."

"That was different," said Zuko. "The point is that we may not have the time to teach you."

"Seriously," added Toph. "Even teaching you the basics of Bending would take weeks. I doubt the Dark Ace is gonna wait that long to fight us."

Piper felt disconsolate by what her friends said, but then she decided to back up her Sky Knight. "But there must be some way of teaching us enough."

Aerrow turned to the crystal mage with a shocked look in his eyes. "Piper?" he said. "You wanna go through with this?"

"Why not?" replied the girl. "If you believe this is something that will help us, then I'm up for it."

"Yeah," chimed Finn. "I think it would be awesome if we could blast fire from our hands or make water do our bidding. So you can sign me up!"

"I'll do it, too," said Junko. "It sounds like fun."

"I'm not one for fighting," said Stork, "so I'll just be doing what I was born to do—flying the _Condor_. But if you guys wanna do this, then, by all means, knock yourselves out."

Starling walked up to the group to add her opinion. "I'm always open to new ideas. So if you believe that this will give us the edge we need against the Dark Ace, then you can count me in."

Radarr gave a chirp at his boy and a thumb up on his paw to show his support. He knew his boy was prone to crazy ideas but they always worked. And to him, this one wasn't any different than the others.

Aerrow smiled at all the encouraging words from his teammates and his fellow Sky Knight. He turned back to his other friends to see if they would fulfill his request. "So, how 'bout it?" he asked. "Will you teach us Bending?"

Aang and the others were now more perplexed. Teaching their friends Bending seemed like a great thing to do, but they still weren't sure if they'll be able to progress far enough in order to stop the Dark Ace. They would have to double their efforts just to give them the basics.

The Avatar then smiled as he thought back to all the times he spent learning how to control the four elements. His friends really went out of their way to help him realize his full potential—and it would be exactly how they could do the same for Aerrow and the others. Now he felt confident in teaching what he knew to them.

"All right," said Aang. "We'll teach you how to Bend. This will definitely come as a surprise to the Dark Ace."

The Storm Hawks and the Interceptor all shouted with praise at the response. Now they would get to train under their friends and, hopefully, have what it takes to save Atmos.

Katara and the others all decided to back Aang in his choice, so they nodded their heads and smiled.

"This seems like a great opportunity," said the Waterbender. "But how are we going to pass on what we know in such a short amount of time? We would have to train them practically non-stop."

Aang then came up with a solution. "Maybe we don't have to," he said. "When I learned how to Energybend from the Lion Turtle, I was able to take away the ability to Bend from Ozai and Azula. So theoretically, if I can bend a person's life energy to take their Bending away, I could also give them the knowledge needed to perform Bending as well. That should give us a head start in being able to teach Bending to Aerrow and the others."

Aerrow wasn't quite sure if he understood but he was willing to try anything. "It's worth a shot."

The Avatar faced his friends to instruct them on how he was going to make his plan happen. "Aerrow, you and everyone else join hands. We'll create a link so my life energy can flow into all of you."

The Sky Knight then grabbed onto his closest member, Piper, with his left hand and then took hold of Aang with his right. The girl then grabbed Finn, who grabbed Junko, who grabbed Starling, and she ended the chain by grabbing Aang's other hand. Once the link was formed, the Avatar took in a deep breath and concentrated hard.

Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Radarr and Stork all waited patiently for what they hoped would be a successful run of their friends ending up with the ability to use the Bending arts. If this would work, then they would be a force that could be formidable enough to stand up to the Dark Ace. They each told themselves that Aerrow and the others will do it and they'll save Atmos. The only thing that stood before them now was this obstacle.

When Aang finally got in touch with his spirit energy, he opened his eyes wide and could feel it pouring off him like water cascading down the side of a cliff. A blue light passed through his body and instantly came in contact with Aerrow and Starling. The Avatar's spirit energy continued to flow as the people connected to it embraced the energy into their own bodies. Soon the energy passed over Piper and Junko. When both parts reached Finn, they hesitated at first but then covered him. The energy over the sharpshooter's body then rippled, making it feel like it was becoming unsettled upon making contact.

The sequence finally ended, and the energy around everyone melded with their bodies. All at once everyone broke away and let in a huge breath when they were finished.

"So," said Aerrow, "did it work?"

Aang smiled and looked at the boy Sky Knight. "Why don't you find out for yourselves?"

The red-haired teen nodded and then thought real hard about what he wanted to do. He concentrated with every fibre in his being, thinking about using the elements in his favour. Aerrow thrust out his hands and then something incredible happened: a gust of air was directed out and ended up blasting Sokka in the face to make his lips flap and mess up his hair.

"Oops! Sorry, Sokka!" Aerrow said apologetically. "I guess I'll need more training as an Airbender."

The Water Tribe boy mumbled to himself while he tried to fix his hair. He then stared at his sister when he heard her laugh at how silly he must have looked.

Piper was the next to see what she could do. Thinking hard and moving out her arms like a wave, she could feel something in her clothes moving around like it was trying to get free. She then noticed that it was moving in the same direction that she was moving her hands. The crystal mage brought her hands to the sky and saw that one of her crystals leapt from behind her back and levitated right in front of her eyes, its blue exterior glistening in the sunlight.

"Wow," said Piper. "My water crystal reacted to the way I move my hands. I must be a Waterbender!"

Junko eagerly walked up to the group to see what he could do. The moment his hooved-foot made contact with the ground, a slab of earth came shooting out a few feet away, which made everyone surprised when they heard the rock grinding against each other.

"All right!" said the Wallop. "I guess that means I'm one of those Earthbending guys."

Finn felt a smile creep onto his face to see what kind of Bending he could do. "My turn!" he shouted.

The marksman concentrated as hard as he could, clenching his teeth and grunting with ferocity. All the others were a bit concerned to see if their friend would try too hard to do something, so they looked with worried expressions. Finn then shouted while holding out his palm but then went silent when he saw no fire or air shoot out from it. He then tried stomping his foot on the ground, but no earth would surface.

Finn was now growing enraged. "Hey, what gives?" he said. "Why can't I do anything?"

"Sorry, Finn," explained Aang. "When I felt my spirit energy pass over you, I couldn't sense any reaction whatsoever. I guess this means you aren't meant to be a Bender."

The blonde sharpshooter narrowed his eyes and growled in response. He wanted so desperately to try Bending, and now his friend told him that it was impossible. The whole experience felt anti-climactic to him.

"I know how you feel," said Sokka.

"Don't patronize me!" Finn snapped.

(A/N: Sorry, but I really _cannot_ picture Finn or Stork being Benders. Stork is too much of a wimp to try something like that and Finn... Well, Finn is like the Sokka of the Storm Hawks! XD)

Starling was the last to see what she could do. The Interceptor held out her hands and instantly gasped when she saw a flame rise out of her palm the moment she concentrated with all her might. It was startling at first but then she felt a sense of accomplishment fill her body upon seeing herself perform an outstanding feat.

"Remarkable," said Starling. "So this must mean I'm like Zuko."

Aerrow smiled at the results. "This is great. I can't wait to get started with our training."

The boy Sky Knight then touched his foot down onto the ground and then something happened: another slab of earth emerged. This made everyone yelp in surprise when they saw it.

"Okay, Junko, you can stop showing off now," said Finn.

"That wasn't me," replied the Wallop.

Toph nodded when she heard the testimony. Her ability to sense lies from the vibrations literally made her a human lie detector. "The big guy is telling the truth. It was Aerrow."

"What?" shouted everyone in disbelief.

No one could believe what they heard. For all they knew, they thought only one person could perform one element of Bending. Aerrow had already been determined to be an Airbender, but performing Earthbending as well seemed impossible.

"You're kidding, right?" said Sokka. "Aerrow was able to bend air _and_ earth?"

"Hey, I could feel it," said the blind girl. "That Earthbending definitely came from Aerrow."

Aerrow then had an idea and decided to put it to the test. He waved his hand around and saw the water crystal in front of Piper came over to him and matched his movements. Now everyone was even more confused.

"Aw, come on!" said Finn. "He can bend water, too? The next thing you know, he'll probably shoot fire out of his fingertips."

Not long after Finn said that, Aerrow shot his right hand into the air and unleashed a jet of flame from his fingertips. The sharpshooter was now even more jealous than ever after seeing his friend do it.

Radarr chirped happily and came up to Aerrow, feeling proud that his boy could bend all four elements.

"So what does this mean?" asked Aerrow, letting the flames subside. "How come I'm the only one who can do all four types of Bending? I thought the Avatar was the only one who could do that."

Just then, Aang opened his eyes wide as a part of him was calling out to him. Everyone watched to see the boy sit down and begin to meditate.

"What's wrong with Aang?" asked Piper.

"Nothing," replied Katara. "One of his past incarnations—or one of the past Avatars—must be trying to contact him."

The Storm Hawks were still perplexed by the idea, but they all eagerly waited for the boy to conclude his business.

* * *

><p><em>Aang's spiritual body was now standing in white space. The Avatar had no idea why one of his incarnations would try to speak with him, but he knew that it would have to be for something important. He waited to see which one of the past Avatars would be conversing with him and also thought about what seriousness it would pose to the Storm Hawks.<em>

_ Just then, a large spiritual dragon flew out of nowhere and came towards Aang. Knowing who it was, the boy relaxed and stood where he was without flinching or running away._

_ "Fang!" said the boy. "It's good to see you. I'll bet Roku has got something big he wants to tell me."_

_ "Yes, I do," said another voice._

_ The dragon landed in front of Aang and lowered its large head. Sitting on its long neck was an old man wearing Fire Nation clothes as well as a royal headpiece shaped like a flame situated at the top of his white hair. To add to his old visage, the man had a large white beard covering most of his face. This man was Avatar Roku, the incarnation before Aang._

_ Aang smiled happily at seeing the man. "It's been a while," he said. "So what did you want to discuss with me?"_

_ "Something you need to know," replied Roku. "I was not so sure about telling you this before. But after seeing what you have accomplished recently, now I am certain."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "When you passed on your knowledge about Bending to your friends, you gave one of them the same abilities as yourself. I have only heard about something like this in legends._

_ "A long time ago when the two worlds were aware of each other, the Air Nomads foretold of one being in Atmos who would share the Avatar's abilities to bend the four elements. But this person is not in every way your equal. Unlike you, the chosen one would not be able to have contact with past incarnations; therefore he could not enter the Avatar State. Still, this was revered as a great discovery and would give the people of Atmos the feeling of hope they need._

_ "I believe that your friend is that person mentioned in the prophecy. And now it is your duty to teach him what you know in order to bring peace to his world."_

_ Aang nodded and understood what he had to do. The idea of giving the Storm Hawks the power of Bending was just something they wanted to do, but he had never expected something like this would come out of it. As the Avatar, he would do everything in his power to make sure that the prophecy would be fulfilled for the sake of Atmos._

_ "You can count on me, Roku," said Aang. "My friends wanted to learn Bending, and I won't let them down."_

_ Roku nodded in response. "I know you will do exceptionally well. Now you must go and teach your friends, for I fear that dark forces are already mobilizing as we speak. Take care, Aang."_

_ Fang then flew away with Roku still riding on his back. Aang watched the dragon fly away along with his past incarnation. With his mission set, the boy brought his fists together and concentrated hard to return to his body. A bright flash then suddenly came out of the white space._

* * *

><p>Aang awoke from his meditation and inhaled a large breath. Everyone stood watch and was startled when they saw their friend return to them. Now they were going to see what happened when the boy was in his relaxed state of mind.<p>

"Aang, what happened?" said Katara.

"Roku spoke to me," replied the Avatar. "He told me about an ancient prophecy that involves Aerrow."

The red-haired teen was taken aback by the comment. "Me? What do you mean?"

"Roku said that someone in Atmos would share my abilities to bend the four elements. You've already shown us what you can do, so he believes that you're the one."

"Really?" said Piper. "So Aerrow is like the Avatar of Atmos?"

"Awesome!" said Finn. "The Dark Ace is gonna have a real fun time when he gets a load of Aerrow smackin' him around with water and fire, or even when he blasts him with a little Avatar State!"

"Uh, not exactly," said Aang. "You see, Aerrow doesn't have any past incarnations that give him combined knowledge, so he won't be able to go into the Avatar State like I do."

Finn stopped his ranting and stood wide-eyed. "Bummer."

"It's all right, Finn," said the boy Sky Knight. "Still, knowing that I can bend the four elements is pretty amazing. I'm sure that'll give the Dark Ace a run for his money."

"I'm sure it will," said Starling. "Now I think we should start training to use our new abilities if we're going to stand a chance against him and his forces."

The group all nodded in unison and then walked off to begin their training for their hopes of saving Atmos from Dark Ace's tyranny.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Wow! That sure was something unexpected, huh?<p>

Aerrow: Yeah. Now I can bend all four elements!

Finn: Oh, sure. Rub it in, why don't cha?

Piper: Oh, get over it, Finn.

Katara: Yeah. At least you're still the best shot.

Finn: Oh, yeah. And I'm still number one with the ladies. *gives Katara a playful glance*

Katara: O_o Uh, yeah, you keep telling yourself that.

BlueTiger321: Well folks, stay tuned for the next chapter when the Storm Hawks will begin their training to control their new abilities, which should produce some hilarious results. So, until next time...

Everyone: Read and review!


	8. Chapter 8: Training

Chapter 8: Training

BlueTiger321: All right! So welcome to the next chapter. Here we'll get to see how the Storm Hawks fare as Benders. Is it going to be a success or will they crash and burn? Find out for yourselves. Also, credit goes to the Avatar Wiki for having all the correct information about Bending in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The Storm Hawks stood in the middle of Terra Neverlandis along with their friends. The entire space had been cleared out to allow them to learn the Bending arts from the Avatar and his fellow Benders. The two Sky Knights and their friends had already been given the knowledge of Bending, and now it was time for them to learn how to control their newfound abilities to work to their advantage.<p>

Finn, Stork, Sokka, Appa, Radarr and Momo all watched from the side to see how their friends would progress through their training. The sharpshooter and the Merb both accepted the fact they could not perform Bending, but Finn still felt like he was being left out of the action.

Sokka saw the sorrow on Finn's face and decided to make him feel better. "Hey, cheer up," he said. "At least nobody can shoot better than you."

Finn brightened up from the compliment. "Thanks. It almost makes not being able to Bend less disappointing."

"Well," said Stork, "if it makes you feel any better, I thought you would've been a lousy Bender anyway."

All at once, Stork, Sokka and Radarr erupted into fits of laughter. Finn groaned and rested his hands on his knees while he looked out across the field to see his friends about to begin their training.

Aerrow, Piper, Junko and Starling all stood side-by-side in front of Aang, Katara, Toph and Zuko. The red-haired teen and his comrades were each prepared to listen to what their instructors would teach them—and they would not stop until they had mastered their Bending and use it to put an end to the Dark Ace's twisted ambitions.

"I hope you guys are ready," said Aang, "because we're going to train you liked you've never been trained before!"

Aerrow looked at his cohorts and saw them all smile and nod, which made him do the same. "We're ready."

Just then, everyone heard a cry coming from behind the Storm Hawks. "Hey, can someone get me something to eat?" said Domiwick. "I'm starving!" The arrogant explorer was now free of his icy bonds and stood in a cage along with Wren's hen that constantly stalked Radarr. "I demand, as your prisoner, that you give me some decent food!"

Domiwick then yelped in surprise as he jumped back when a stalagmite came out of the ground near his feet.

Toph smirked and stomped her foot to lower the stalagmite back into the earth. "Put a sock in it, jerkwad!" she said.

Domiwick nodded with a nervous grin in response. As long as he was imprisoned then he would have to do whatever they would say. Deep inside, this filled him with even more rage but he would have to go along with it for now.

Back with the group, Aang stepped up first to give his lesson. "Aerrow, I'm going to teach what gives you the skill needed to Airbend. Now air is the element of freedom. When we Air Nomads perform our Airbending, we look for the flexibility in ourselves. All you have to do is look for the path that gives you the least resistance and follow it. Airbending is mostly used for defence, and very rarely do we use it for powerful attacks. To start, you move your hands in a circular motion to control it."

Aang then gave a demonstration of how to Airbend. Moving his hands around, he was able to create a small tornado in front of him. The Avatar continued by changing the tornado back into regular air and brought it to his palms where he raised them to the sky and shot out the air to make a powerful blast.

Aerrow smiled at the display. It didn't seem so hard to him—and now it was going to be his turn to try it. Remembering what Aang taught, the Sky Knight looked for his flexibility. Then he found the path with the least resistance and followed it. Aerrow concentrated on that path until he could feel something moving between his swirling hands. There he looked and saw a small ball of air rotating in his palms.

The Avatar smiled. "You're doing it!" he praised.

"Way to go, Aerrow!" said Piper.

"Yeah," said the red-haired teen. "I guess it's a lot easier than it looks."

No sooner did Aerrow say that when he suddenly lost focus of what he was doing and the ball of air expanded. Aerrow gasped nervously and tried to get it under control until it engulfed the field and blew everyone several feet away. The group was now scattered around the terra where they all lied on their backs, their hair or fur messed up from the air blowing in different directions.

Aerrow groaned as he sat up to regain his bearings. "This is gonna take some time to get used to."

* * *

><p>A while passed and now it was Katara's turn to instruct what she knew about Waterbending. The Water Tribe girl looked at Aerrow and Piper while she held a large globe of water levitating above her right palm.<p>

Looking at her friends, Katara took in a breath and said, "Water is the element of change. The Waterbenders learned how to use our art by observing how the moon would push and pull the tides. The way we Waterbend is by mimicking that effect. When in battle, Waterbending can be done by dealing with the flow of energy to make your defence become your offence."

Katara then showed her demonstration by moving her hands in a graceful motion like the tides ebbing on the beach. This manipulated the water in front of the Sky Knight and his crystal mage, making them smile at how elegant it was.

The young Waterbender continued her lesson and separated the water into two globes. "And remember: water can be found all around us—whether it's in the ocean, in the plants, in the air, as ice, steam, or even from our own bodies." Katara then gently brought the water down in front of Aerrow and Piper where she followed up by taking in a deep breath, exhaling, and transforming each water globe into ice to rest on the ground.

"Wow, Katara," said Piper. "You make it look easy."

The Water Tribe girl gave a joyous grin at the compliment. "It'll be easy for you two as well. Now you try it." Katara had then transformed the ice back into water. "Just remember to move your hands the way you want the water to flow."

Aerrow and Piper looked at each other. Both the Sky Knight and the crystal mage were a bit frightened that they would fail at this trial, but they knew they had the other one for support and it always worked in their favour. Nodding in unison, they turned their attention back to the water globes and followed Katara's example. They moved their hands and could sense the water flowing from the way they felt it.

Katara took a step back and released her hold on the water when she saw that Aerrow and Piper were already doing a magnificent job. Now she was glad to see her friends bending like she did as she watched both globes of water dancing around the sky in a graceful manner.

"See? I knew you'd both get the feel of it," Katara said proudly.

"Wow," said Stork. "Gotta say, I had my doubts before but they seem to be doing pretty okay for themselves." The Merb yelped when he felt a sharp pain in his leg and saw it was Radarr who punched him.

The co-pilot let out a displeased growl after hearing the remark about his friends. To him he thought he should always believe in his teammates, and anyone (friend or not) who thinks otherwise would be talking nonsense.

Aerrow and Piper blissfully continued their Waterbending by keeping the water suspended high above everyone. Now they felt confident enough in taking it to the next level: turning water into ice. They concentrated hard and took in a deep breath—just like Katara—and exhaled.

The water high above the group shifted from the command of the Benders and transformed into solid ice. What Aerrow and Piper didn't know was that the transformation of the water globes increased their weight. Both of them screamed as they saw the ice plummet at an alarming rate that also made them panic and lose control.

Everyone soon shouted with fright as the ice globes were dangerously coming close to crushing anyone or anything in their path. But Aang and Katara took action by holding out their hands to change the ice back into water and managed to keep it suspended in midair so it would not drench anyone.

The others saw they were no longer in danger, so they all relaxed and took in deep breaths to calm their nerves.

"I'm sorry," said Piper, thinking it was her fault. "I guess we shouldn't have tried that until we had more practice."

"It's okay," said Katara. "It's all part of the learning process."

Aerrow came up to comfort his friend. "That was poor judgment on my part, too. But don't worry; we'll get the hang of this with a little more practice."

"Sure, you will," Domiwick said sarcastically.

Everyone turned to see the man leaning on the bars of the cage with a spiteful smirk on his face.

"You could keep us this pointless regimen," said Domiwick, "or maybe you could beg the Dark Ace to make you his slaves." His attention was now fixated on Piper. "I'm sure with _your_ new talent, you could always make sure to put ice in his drink!"

The explorer then let out cruel laughter with the hope that his intention of discouraging the girl was working. The laughter kept going until Domiwick screamed in pain when a chunk of ice was thrown into his crotch. Domiwick rolled on the ground after the attack, grabbing his aching crotch to try relieving himself of the intense pain.

Piper smirked while she held out her hand, happy to know enough Waterbending to wipe the smile off Domiwick's face. "That'll teach you to keep your mouth shut!" she said.

"Nice one!" said Aerrow as he high-fived the girl.

* * *

><p>A few moments had passed since the last session, and this time Toph stood in front of Aerrow and Junko while the others stood by and watched. The blind girl formed a smile on her face that she kept away from her friends. It had been a long time since she passed on her wisdom: the whole idea of getting another chance to teach in her own special manner seemed like a dream come true to her.<p>

"All right, ladies," said Toph. "I'm gonna teach you Earthbending, and you're gonna like it."

Junko felt compelled to ask a question. "Do we have to—" He was interrupted when he felt a small rumble at his feet.

Toph placed her foot forward to end the tremor. "Don't think, just do," she said. "Okay, I'll give you the rundown of what I know. Earth is the element of substance, which makes all Earthbenders very strong and persistent. What I usually do with my Earthbending is that I wait until the right moment to strike and face my opponent head on. All you have to do is focus on the earth around you, and then, when the right moment reveals itself, you strike back with either offensive or defensive force."

When the Earthbender was done giving her lecture, she concentrated the earth around her and then brought up her fists. Two large boulders came out of the ground and hovered to her sides. Aerrow and Junko were both impressed and concerned by the performance.

"So," said Aerrow, "when you say we wait for the right moment to strike..."

"Get ready," said Toph, "'cause here comes your first example."

Junko's eyes went wide as saucers when he heard the instruction. "Wait! Don't you think we should try bending earth on our own safely first?"

"I'm a firm believer in learning on the job."

Toph sent the boulders away from her heading straight for Aerrow and Junko. The two were afraid but stood their ground and did what their instructor said: wait for the right moment and strike. The boulders were coming closer, and the other Storm Hawks all gasped when they thought their friends would get seriously injured.

Just then, Aerrow and Junko quickly brought up their hands when they listened to the earth. Two walls of earth then came up in front of them that blocked the incoming boulders. The resulting force shattered both the boulders and the walls when they made contact.

The Sky Knight sighed with relief to see he and his strongman avoided the attack. He then got an idea and hoped Junko was thinking the same. "Hey, Junko," he said. "I think we should follow up with a surprise of our own."

The Wallop nodded in response, and the two raised their hands to make the shards of earth in front of them rise and sent them straight towards Toph.

Meanwhile, the blind girl merely smirked to herself and focused on a way to counter the attacks. She thought if that was the way her friends wanted to play, then she could play along with them. Toph brought the earth up to her own body until it looked like she was wearing a suit of armour fashioned out of rock, making sure to keep a square around her face to allow herself to breathe. The attacks from Aerrow and Junko came, and Toph was able to smash every one of them with her arms.

The Sky Knight and the Wallop both gasped when they saw their attacks were unsuccessful. It was an even bigger shock to them to see Toph slide across the earth and come towards them. But still they didn't stagger; they faced it head on.

Toph had both arms outstretched when she got closer. As soon as they saw their moment, Aerrow and Junko grabbed onto the girl and grunted as they tried to push her away. Toph walked slowly forward while the boy's resisted with their own Earthbending. Sweat was beading down their faces and their feet made marks on the ground from Toph pushing forward. All of a sudden, the blind girl gasped when she could feel her stone armour crack from the pressure coming from both sides. Despite this, she pressed forth with all her might, determined to give her friends the lesson they desired.

The combined forces of the Earthbending had finally broken away the rock and made all three of them fall flat on their backs as the power knocked them down. Aerrow and Junko were both panting from the lesson. A shadow came over their bodies, and they looked up to see Toph standing over them.

"Good job, guys," said the blind girl. "You both stood your ground and faced whatever I threw at you head on without giving so much as a flinch. Both of you have got what it takes to be Earthbenders."

The rest of the group all shouted with praise and clapped when they saw their friends successfully complete a lesson. Aerrow and Junko smiled and stood on their feet, a sense of pride filling up inside each of them.

"Well, I think this deserves a high five," said Aerrow.

"Yes!" agreed Junko.

The Sky Knight and the Wallop slapped both their palms together with the latter stomping his hooved-foot on the ground when he was done. What Junko didn't know was that his stomp had opened up a hole in the ground right underneath Finn's feet. The blonde sharpshooter looked down and saw he was now standing on thin air where he whimpered and screamed when he plummeted down the hole.

Everyone cringed when they saw their friend fall and make a loud thump when he hit the bottom. To them it sounded rather painful and hoped that their friend would be all right.

"Sorry, Finn," said Junko.

Finn groaned from down in the hole. "Can someone get me out of here?"

Just then, Finn went flying out of the hole when the earth was raised under his feet at a fast rate. The marksman shouted as he fell down and landed on Appa's saddle. He sat up with his eyeballs spinning in their sockets, trying to get a hold of the world around him.

As soon as Finn stopped feeling dizzy, he angrily said, "Not funny, Junko!"

"Nope, that was me, lunkhead," said Toph. "And yes, it was funny. I just couldn't resist."

The others all laughed while Finn climbed down the saddle with an irritated look on his face. Appa looked at the boy and licked Finn with his giant tongue like he did before. Finn let out a disgusted cry and tried to wipe off as much saliva when he rejoined the others.

* * *

><p>The next lesson had now begun with Zuko standing before Aerrow and Starling. The Fire Lord was a bit hesitant to teach them since he knew from experience that fire was the most dangerous of all the elements. But he also knew that there was very little time left for them to defend Atmos, so he would have to use discretion while giving out his instructions.<p>

Zuko bowed to his friends and began teaching. "All right, you guys. I'll teach you the real aspects about Firebending."

"Real aspects?" asked Starling.

"Yes." A flame then came out of his right palm and flickered before the two Sky Knights. "A long time ago, the Firebenders used to drive their art from their rage and hatred. But Aang and I discovered the true meaning of Firebending after going through a journey.

"Fire is the element of power. What Aang and I learned is that fire represents life and energy. The energy used for Firebending comes from the sun or from your own body heat. Since Firebending is mostly offensive, you use fast, consecutive attacks to overwhelm your foes."

Zuko then brought his hands together and made the flame separate into two portions, one in each palm. He then spread around his arms to create a brilliant display of flames dancing before the group. It soon ended when Zuko jumped into the air, brought both flames up to the sole of his boot, and struck a pose with his foot extended to scorch the barren ground with a fire ball.

Aerrow and Starling were now eager to start their Firebending. They each thought with something that impressive, they were sure to get the advantage on any foe that stood in their way.

"Now _that's_ my kind of fighting style!" said Aerrow.

"Now it's your turn," said Zuko. "For your first time, I recommend that you squat your knees and focus that fire represents energy. But also remember that you have to stay in control."

The two Sky Knights bent their knees in a wide stance and focused hard. They thought about fire being life and not being fuelled by rage. Soon they each brought their hands together and were able to summon a small fire ball. Aerrow and Starling were now amazed that they had this much control after one lesson.

"Wow," said Aerrow.

"Wow, indeed," said Starling. "This really was a great idea. Nice work, Aerrow."

Everyone else erupted in cheers when they saw their friends had their first grasp of Firebending. Now they just needed some more practice and they would be ready to take on the Dark Ace's forces.

Aerrow suddenly felt being creative, so he brought his hands out and made the fire ball dance before him like when he saw Zuko giving his instruction. The flame stretched across the space around the red-haired teen like a firefly buzzing around a night-filled sky.

Zuko now had a worried expression on his face when he saw his friend was trying to do things his own way. "Be careful, Aerrow," he warned. "You don't want to lose control."

"Relax," said Aerrow. "I've got in under control."

The boy was too distracted talking to his friend to realize that the flame had already been launched from his hands. Its trajectory was straight, and at the end of the path was Piper.

The crystal mage screamed in fright when she saw the flame was coming at her full speed and she had no means to defend herself.

Aerrow was brought back to his senses when he heard the cry from his teammate. "Piper!" he shouted.

Piper brought up her hands in a futile attempt to block out the pain. But Aang had already stepped in front of her and brought up his hands. A wall of earth was raised and blocked the fire ball, extinguishing it from existence. When the attack had faded, Aang lowered the wall and revealed Piper shaking all over from where she stood.

The others all rushed over to see if the girl was all right, and Starling quickly made sure to extinguish her flame so as not to cause another accident.

Aerrow now felt guilt rise within him. It was because of his carelessness that his friend almost got hurt. Because of that, he now felt no desire to try something like this ever again. "Piper, I'm so sorry." The boy then walked away from his friends, leaving them all stunned.

"What's wrong with Aerrow?" said Finn.

"Gee, I don't know," said Stork. "Do you think it might have to do with him almost getting Piper burned to a crisp?"

Radarr stared off at the boy walking away sadly, and he suddenly felt his eyes droop. A sad chirp escaped his mouth as he was concerned over Aerrow's well-being.

Aang recognized that look and he couldn't let Aerrow think the same way that he himself used to think. "I better go talk to him."

Katara and Piper both nodded and joined the boy, leaving the others behind to let them talk some sense into the Sky Knight.

Aerrow was coming up on the _Condor_. In his mind he felt he had failed both as a Firebender and as a Sky Knight for endangering his friend. Now he wasn't so sure if trying to learn Bending was the best idea after all. If he couldn't focus on the most important things, then there's no telling what kind of havoc he could wreak with his powers.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aerrow could see Piper, Aang and Katara walking up to him. He exhaled a breath and turned to face his friends with a guilty expression.

"Aerrow," Piper said in a concerned voice. "Is everything all right?"

The red-haired teen looked down in shame. "No," he said. "How can you be so calm? I almost hurt you, Piper."

"It was an accident. And this is your first time learning how to Firebend, so you can't expect it to go perfectly."

"But Zuko was right. I wasn't focusing and I lost control. If Aang hadn't been there in time to save you, then I would never be able to forgive myself."

"But, Aerrow," said Katara, "this was your idea. We're all teaching you Bending just so we'll be able to stop the Dark Ace. You just need some more practice."

Aerrow turned away from his friends. "I just don't know anymore," he said. "I mean, I don't want anything like that to happen again. What would happen if I end up causing harm to you again? I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do this."

Aang walked up to the Sky Knight. "Listen, Aerrow," he said, "you can't give up. I'll admit that Firebending scared me at first. When I first tried doing it, I ended up hurting Katara. I felt the same way as you that I thought I never wanted to Firebend ever again. But then I realized that as the Avatar I had to do it in order to help the people of my world. I moved on from my mistakes and now I can Firebend like any master."

Aerrow turned back around to look at his friends. Those words somehow made sense to him, and it gave him the will to try Bending again.

"We're all in this together, Aerrow," said Piper. "We learn from our mistakes and we don't think about them. You just have to have faith in us and yourself."

The Sky Knight suddenly felt his guilt melt away and it was now replaced with confidence. He took in a deep breath, smiled and said, "All right. Let's get back to training. We're gonna need a lot more if we're gonna give the Dark Ace a fight he won't soon forget!"

Aang, Katara and Piper all smiled at their friend. His sense of never shying away from anything now gave them the confidence they needed to continue. The four of them started to walk back to their friends when they heard another cry in the distance.

"Hey!" said Domiwick. "Seriously, can you give me a break? I'm starving here!"

Katara narrowed her eyes and manipulated water out of the grass that she formed into a globe that was transformed into a chunk of ice. Aang followed the girl's example by bringing up a flame from his palm. Aerrow and Piper looked at each and nodded, so the girl also brought up water from the grass while the boy brought up a flame from his palm.

Domiwick saw this as a threat so he nervously backed away from the bars and said, "I'll be quiet."

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Wow! That chapter was certainly interesting!<p>

Aerrow: I'll say. But I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

Piper: I'm sure we'll save Atmos in time.

Katara: But you're not alone.

Aang: That's right!

Domiwick: I'm still hungry.

Aerrow: How many times do you want to take a chunk of ice to your special area?

Domiwick: O_OU Uh, never mind.

BlueTiger321: All right! So folks, stay tuned for another exciting chapter. Until next time...

Piper: Read and review!


	9. Chapter 9: Field Test

Chapter 9: Field Test

BlueTiger321: Well, we've seen what the heroes are doing, so now it's time to see what the villains are plotting next. Again, credit goes to the Avatar Wiki for the information on Bending in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The land of Terra Bogaton was a dry, hot place filled with sparse trees, rough terrain and many cacti dotting the surface. It was in this terra where the Raptors once held it as their home until the downfall of Repton at the hands of Stork. Now it was a safe haven for the other beings that lived there, the Terradons.<p>

Inside their laboratory, the Terradons were busily at work on their latest experiment. They looked a lot like the Raptors, except they were more portly in comparison and they had higher intelligence. They wore lab coats and goggles to complement their image to prove they were a race of knowledge instead of violence.

Everything was going peacefully until the Terradons all turned their heads when they heard a loud crash. Smoke filled the air as a large hole opened up from the wall, flames charring the edges of the metal. Out from the smoke came seven figures that got closer to the Terradons. From their goggles they could clearly see the ones who approached them were none other than the Dark Ace and his forces.

The Terradons were frightened, especially from seeing Repton and his brothers. They all thought that their homeland was free from the Raptors' malevolence when the Storm Hawks got rid of them, but now seeing them return left the Terradons shaking incredulously with fear.

When the smoke was finally cleared, Repton smiled at his former servants and said, "I'm home!"

Since they were not built for or intent on fighting, the Terradons were left with no other option but to run. They each ran for the nearest exit to get to their ride.

The Dark Ace and the others all took pleasure in instilling fear in the portly lizard-humanoids. This kind of influence they had on others was definitely a benefit with the power they now possessed.

The laughter in the room silenced when the Dark Ace held up his hand. "Well, it looks like the Terradons won't object to us coming here," he said.

"It's a shame, really," said Ravess. "We could've forced them to work for us."

"Who needs them!" said Repton. "Those worthless curs were getting on my nerves anyway."

"It sure is good to be back on Bogaton," said Hoerk. "There's no other place just like it."

"Oh, this is just the beginning," said Dark Ace. "Terra Bogaton will only be used as our temporary base of operations. Soon we'll have every terra in the palm of our hands."

"So now what?" asked Snipe.

The Dark Ace turned around, looking directly in the eyes of his followers; it was now time for the next phase of his plan. "Divide and conquer. We will go around to each terra, and we shall demonstrate that our ruling is absolute. If they don't accept it, then we'll show them what happens if they try to oppose."

All at once, the others laughed sinisterly from hearing the plan. Now all of Atmos would be made known that a new authority was coming to claim its rightful place.

"A perfect idea," said Repton. His face then changed into a sneer. "But have you forgotten about those meddling Storm Hawks and their friends?"

The Dark Ace suddenly felt insulted that the Raptor leader had the audacity to speak to him about their enemies. Sneering right back at him, the man stepped up and made his pupils glow red. "No, I haven't. I'm going to make sure that they're dealt with in the most agonizing way possible." Dark Ace's attention was now focused on Ravess and Snipe. "Go out and spread the word that our reign is now taking over Atmos. If you're met with opposition—_especially_ the Storm Hawks—then you will show them the error of their ways!"

Ravess and Snipe nodded in response and eagerly headed out of the building to get to their sky rides. It was now their chance to finally get their revenge against the Sky Knight squadron that so many times defeated them—or at the very least to scare innocent people into accepting their new law. They stopped when the Dark Ace called out to them.

"Oh, and don't forget this," said the man. He then held out his palm and made it glow red. A burst of light came out and faded when it transformed into a small red crystal that sat in the middle of his hand.

"What kind of crystal is that?" said Ravess.

"It's the kind that will come in handy when dealing with large numbers," said the Dark Ace.

The siblings were still confused by what the Dark Ace meant, but Ravess snatched the crystal out of the Dark Ace's hand and then she and her brother went over to their sky rides to begin their task.

Repton, meanwhile, stared back at his brothers who were still in the building. "Well, why are you imbeciles still here?" he shouted. "You heard what the Dark Ace said, so get moving!"

Hoerk, Spitz and Lugey all jumped from their leader barking orders at them. So they all ran out from the gaping hole in the wall to get back to their sky rides and do as they were told.

The Dark Ace and Repton were now left alone in the building while the others were carrying out their mission. Soon, they both thought, they would have Atmos within their grasp and no one would be able to stop them. All they needed was patience and the assertiveness to see it through to the end. Then everyone would become their subjects.

"It will be so great to see all of Atmos bowing before us," said Repton.

"Yes, it would," replied Dark Ace. "I trust that you'll be sure to pull your own weight in seeing this happen? After all, I can't have anyone claiming power for themselves if they don't even so much as lift a finger—not like that ungrateful witch, Cyclonis."

"Oh, I'll certainly do my fair share of the work. You just make sure that you'll keep your end of the bargain. I wish to be treated as your equal, not your pawn."

The Dark Ace walked away and stopped before the giant doors, opening them by themselves by raising his hand to telekinetically move them. "That won't be a problem," he replied, "just so long as you don't ever speak to me in that fashion again. We are equals, Repton, but anyone who ever talks down on me is likely to end up with excruciating pain that no one should ever have to endure." He walked out but then turned his head to stare directly into Repton's enraged face. "You'd best be sure to keep that in check... if you don't want to end up like Cyclonis."

The Dark Ace walked out of the laboratory, leaving Repton fuming with anger. Their conversation left the Raptor leader feeling more like a peon than a conqueror, and it was no better than when he was working for Master Cyclonis. Somehow he was getting the feeling that being part of this alliance wasn't everything he thought it would be. But he would have to wait and see how this would turn out before acting too rashly.

Meanwhile, Ravess and Snipe flew away west from Terra Bogaton on their sky rides while the Raptors flew east on their Bone Wings to begin their tasks.

Heading south from the terra was a small makeshift blimp with the Terradons onboard. The scientists would have to inform someone about the evil they just witnessed, and they hoped that it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

><p>The afternoon sun loomed high over Terra Neverlandis. On the terra's surface, the Storm Hawks continued their training to master Bending in time to fight the Dark Ace. Their first few sessions did not go as well as any of them had hoped, but they did notice that they were getting progressively better. Soon their efforts will have paid off for them when they get the chance to show off their skills.<p>

Each member was now performing one act of their Bending: Aerrow had created a swirl of air around his body to show off Airbending's defensive properties; Piper had fashioned a Water Whip that she lashed out into empty space; Junko was busy turning a large block of earth over and over on its sides; and Starling had made flames shoot out from her hands and feet while she was jumping and doing acrobatics.

The Avatar's group all watched with glee as they saw their teachings were going perfectly with their friends. Now with their new skills, they felt confident in facing off against the Dark Ace and saving Atmos.

Aerrow looked up to see his friends while he was still Airbending. "So, how are we doing?"

"Great," replied Aang. "At this rate, you should be comfortable with Bending in no time."

"I feel more in control already," said Piper.

"As do I," added Starling. "I never, once in my life, thought that I would ever be able to do something like this."

"Well, how does it feel?" asked Katara.

"It feels invigorating. I feel power like I've never felt before. But something with this much power carries a hefty responsibility, and I know now how you must keep every emotion in check just to get it to work for you."

Zuko walked up to face Aerrow and Starling. He waited until the two Sky Knights were done with their Bending and faced their friend, hoping to receive another Firebending lesson.

"You're both doing great," said the Fire Lord. "Now I'm going to teach you the last thing I know: how to redirect lightning."

Starling was confused by what Zuko told her, but Aerrow brightened up at the idea and remembered how his friend was able to use that same technique against Azula.

After a moment of giving the instruction, Zuko was now showing his demonstration on redirecting lightning. He placed one tip of his hand to the other, and then brought it down his arm, across his stomach, and out the other arm.

Aerrow and Starling viewed the example from their friend, and so they followed along by doing the exact same moments. They kept doing it with both hands until they were sure they fully understood how to do it properly.

"Good job, you two," said Zuko while watching his friends follow his actions. "You just absorb it into your bodies, and then redirect the energy into your desired direction. Just make sure that when the lightning passes through your body that it doesn't travel through your heart."

Aerrow nodded. "This is kind of like Waterbending."

"That's where my uncle learned to perform this technique. He studied the Waterbenders' ability to redirect their opponents' energy."

"If you don't mind me asking," said Starling, "what does this have to do with Firebending?"

Zuko stopped the redirecting technique and faced the purple-haired woman. "Well, you see, the ability to bend lightning is an advanced form of Firebending. My uncle says that it's also called 'the cold-blooded fire', and only a select few Firebending masters are able to do it."

"Have you ever done it?"

The Fire Lord looked down in shame upon being asked that question. "No, I haven't." Zuko felt reluctant to answer but decided he should share this with all his friends.

"Is something wrong, Zuko?" asked Aerrow.

"If I offended you, then I apologize," said Starling.

"It's nothing that you said," Zuko assured. "It's just that... I've had some bad experiences when it came to lightning."

The others soon crowded around Zuko, Aerrow and Starling to see what was happening. Everything seemed to go smoothly with them and now they could see this was something that looked like a cause for concern.

"What's going on?" said Finn.

"Zuko, you can tell us," said Starling.

"Aren't we supposed to be your friends?" said Sokka.

The Fire Lord nodded and looked at his comrades. "I'm fine. From what I can remember of what my uncle said, it's that lightning is generated by acquiring peace of mind and separating your yin and yang energies, or your positive and negative energies. Those energies then meld together and create lightning.

"I've tried to do it, and it didn't work out so well—that's when my uncle taught me how to redirect lightning.

"When the time finally came for me to use it, it was against my father. I could feel the power behind that bolt of lightning as it surged throughout my body. It felt like something unreal.

"After that, I don't think I could ever try creating lightning again, because I'm afraid that I might end up causing something I don't want to happen."

Aang and his friends were now left stunned after hearing Zuko's confession. They had no idea that bending lightning had done this to him.

"But Zuko," said Aang, "you shouldn't have to be afraid. After all, the redirecting technique isn't any different than creating lightning. If you hadn't taught it to me, I know I'd have been dead a long time ago."

"Yeah," added Aerrow. "It's just like Aang told me: you just have to have faith in yourself."

"I don't think you could do anything wrong," said Katara. "You choose to do the right thing, and so you can make the lightning do your bidding."

Zuko thought about what his friends told him. It was true that he no longer had any doubts about who he was or any worries about what his father thought of him. So if he applied himself then he could be able to bend lightning.

"All right," said the Fire Lord. "I guess I could try it again."

The others all smiled at Zuko for his determination. Now, they thought, they could truly work together.

"So," said Stork, "any ideas about what's going to happen next?"

Aerrow was about to say what was on his mind when he set his eyes wide in shock. The others saw his frightened look and they all turned around to look up at the sky. A gasp escaped each of their lips when they saw Ravess and Snipe approaching them.

"Them again?" said Sokka.

"Who?" asked Toph.

"Ravess and Snipe!" replied Starling. "They never learn when to quit."

Aerrow smirked. This kind of thing was now the opportunity for him and his teammates to apply their new abilities in combat. "Well, this looks as good a time as any for a field test."

"What?" said Piper. "But we've just begun our training. Do you really think we're ready?"

Radarr had jumped onto Aerrow shoulders as he said, "I know we're ready. Besides, what good is all our training if we don't actually use our Bending for why we started it?"

Ravess and Snipe continued piloting their sky rides when the burly man looked down and spotted Terra Neverlandis. "Hey, sis!" he said. "Look down there!"

The woman looked down and instantly spotted the Storm Hawks. She set her face into a scowl but remembered what the Dark Ace had given to her. Digging through her outfit, she pulled up the mysterious crystal, its surface sparkling in the sunlight.

Ravess chuckled to herself. "Well, let's give them a surprise they won't soon forget." Her attention was directed back to the terra as she shouted, "Here's a present for you!"

The crystal was then thrown from the sky, although Ravess was still unsure about what it was supposed to do.

Everyone on the terra watched the crystal land on the terra's surface. After a while nothing happened, but then they saw it explode in a flash of light. The group was forced to shield their eyes when the light burst out. When it subsided they looked at what happened and were left speechless.

Standing before the group was a small army of soldiers all wearing red crystal-plated armour. The only thing that came out of the hole in their helmets was piercing red eyes while the rest of the space remained black.

"This must be another concoction from the Dark Ace," said Piper.

The crystal soldiers all raised their hands and each fired off red crystal pulses at their targets. Before the attacks could hit, a wall of earth was raised up to shield them from the blasts. A rumble came whenever a pulse hit the wall.

"Nice work, Toph!" said Sokka.

"That wasn't me," the blind girl admitted.

Junko gave a wink to the group to indicate that he was the one who used his Earthbending to defend them. He followed up by shouting and pushing the wall out to head for the soldiers.

The minions of the Dark Ace all scattered when the wall came crashing into them, and only two didn't get out in time so their bodies shattered into bits of red crystal that soon disintegrated into the atmosphere.

Aerrow was not going to take this lying down. "Storm Hawks, to your rides!" he ordered. "We'll take out Ravess and Snipe while Aang and the others deal with these knuckleheads!"

The others nodded to the plan, and so the Storm Hawks and Starling all eagerly ran back to the _Condor_ to mount their sky rides. Aang and his friends stayed behind to contend with the crystal soldiers, and they all looked at their foes with stern expressions.

Ravess looked down and saw the Storm Hawks attempting to get to their rides. The woman could not have that happening so she notched five arrows in her bow with the intent of striking them down before they got close to their ship. "Goodbye, Storm Hawks!"

The arrows flew from Ravess's bow, and Stork managed to look up when he heard the sound. A cowardly scream came out of his mouth as he made a futile attempt to duck and cover.

Piper looked up to see the volley of arrows headed straight for them. She then remembered what Katara told her about water being all around her. The crystal mage concentrated hard and got into a Waterbending stance. Raising her hands, the water from the grass came out of the ground and made the plants turn brown from losing their moisture. The water was then spread out over the sky that caught the arrows and was instantly transformed into ice when Piper drew her breath.

Stork could feel that he was not harmed, so he looked up and saw Ravess's arrows trapped in the ice just a few feet above him. A short chuckle came out from his mouth upon surviving the near-fatal encounter.

"Come on, Stork!" shouted Aerrow. "Let's get to the _Condor_!"

"Uh, right," said the Merb and followed his teammates.

Ravess was stunned by the display: seeing a Storm Hawk perform something like that was rather unsettling to her. "But how?" she said.

The woman looked back down and saw the people from the other world use their Bending abilities: Aang blasted away a group of soldiers with air by swinging his staff horizontally; Katara brought up water from the grass and fashioned it into a cylinder of ice that she used to send razor-sharp discs to slice through the soldier's limbs; Sokka used his superior sword skills to cut through each soldier trying to strike him down; Toph unleashed a wave of stalagmites to each of her sides that skewered through the soldier's bodies; and Zuko brought his hands together and then separated them to unleash a long blade of fire that incinerated his opponents.

"Of course," said Ravess. "They learned those powers from their friends!" She then turned to her brother. "Snipe, go down there and get rid of those meddling pests!"

Snipe looked down at the terra to see the Avatar's group fighting against the soldiers; it seemed like the perfect time to initiate a sneak attack while they were distracted. "With pleasure," he said.

The burly man drove his Heli-Blade Elite down to the terra while his sister looked around for the Storm Hawks. Just then something sped past her face that almost caught her off guard. Looking to her right yielded the Storm Hawks and the Interceptor. Finn already had his crossbow mounted over his Skimmer, which indicated he fired a bolt.

"Everybody, attack!" Aerrow shouted.

Finn screamed as he fired another barrage of bolts. But Ravess grunted and held out her bow with five arrows already notched. Each arrow collided with a bolt that created a small explosion. The last arrow came straight for Finn, who tried to swing his Skimmer to the left to avoid the shot. Unfortunately for the sharpshooter, the arrow struck the side of his sky ride and sliced it in half to separate the wings from the front.

"Aw, man!" Finn said disappointedly.

With nothing to keep Finn in the air, he and the remains of his Skimmer plummeted back down to the terra while Finn screamed the entire way. Finn thought this was going to be the end for him since he was dangerously close to the terra and deploying his parachute would not matter. It all changed when something swooped underneath him and saved his life before he hit the ground. The marksman looked around to see he was lying in a giant saddle. He then heard a chirp to see Momo sitting next to him.

Finn smiled and sat up. "Thanks, Appa!"

The sky bison let out a growl in response to show it was his way of saying 'You're welcome' to Finn.

Ravess narrowed her eyes while she closed in on her targets. This time, she told herself, she was not going to let the Storm Hawks humiliate her like they did so many times before.

Aerrow looked at the woman while Piper flew up beside him. The clouds were passing by the two, and that gave the Sky Knight an idea. Turning to his co-pilot he said, "Radarr, take the controls."

The little guy immediately gave a salute and jumped into the seat while the red-haired teen stood up and balanced himself between his Skimmer's wings. Piper looked beside her and saw the boy was about to do something.

"What's your plan, Aerrow?" she asked.

"I think it's time I brushed up on my Waterbending," replied the boy, "and I could use your help."

Piper lightened up at the idea. "Just say the word!"

Already, Ravess looked out in front and saw the Sky Knight and crystal mage drawing nearer. She notched four arrows in her bow, ready to strike at the right moment.

Aerrow and Piper got their Waterbending poses ready, concentrating hard on the water in the clouds. As long as they were together, Aerrow thought, they were going to accomplish this. All he had to do was have faith in himself and his friend.

Ravess fired the arrows, and Aerrow and Piper instantly manipulated the water in the clouds to fire at the arrows. The water came out as a huge gush that knocked the arrows away while still heading forward to Ravess who screamed and was pushed back when the water hit her Switchblade.

"Yes!" Aerrow and Piper cried in unison.

Back on the ground, the Avatar's group was still fighting against the crystal soldiers. Aang had brought up a large block of earth that he rotated on the ground to crush the soldiers that stood before him while the others were continuing with blasts related to their element.

The soldiers then tried a new tactic. They each extended their right arms and made them glow, causing them to shift until they formed a long, red blade. Sokka could only smile at this when he thought this was useless for them as the soldiers would be playing his game.

Swift attacks came from the soldiers as they slashed away with their new weapons. Sokka managed to deflect with his own blade and cut them down when he saw openings.

One crystal soldier managed to sneak up behind Katara while she was busily fighting. Sokka was the only one to see it and so he shouted, "Katara, behind you!"

The Waterbender turned around and swiftly dodged to her right when the blade came down vertically. The blade's tip had cut off a few strands of Katara's hair that fluttered into the air before unknowingly settle in Snipe's left shoulder plate as he approached the group.

Snipe aimed his mace and fired a red crystal pulse that hit the ground and nearly knocked Aang off his feet. The others turned around and saw the burly man coming towards them.

"Hey, kiddies!" said Snipe.

"Great!" Sokka said sarcastically. "As if we didn't have enough problems fighting these guys."

Toph shrugged her shoulders. "It's not really much of a challenge when you keep fighting mindless lackeys." A crystal soldier extended its left hand to blast the blind girl but she stomped her foot and brought up a stalagmite to split it in half through the middle.

The soldier was disintegrating when its hand went off to the left and fired the energy pulse across the terra with no one paying any mind to it.

Domiwick was still in the cage as he watched the battle taking place. He then saw something speeding in the distance that was coming closer to him. It took him a second to realize that it was an energy pulse, and so he emitted a cowardly scream and ran to the other side of the cage.

A small explosion occurred when the pulse collided with the metal bars. Domiwick got up from the ground and quickly inspected himself to make sure no body parts were missing. He smiled and was glad to know he was uninjured. Looking to where the pulse hit, he saw the cage now had a large hole that allowed him to make his escape. Domiwick wasted no time in getting out of his prison, finally getting away from the torment he suffered.

Meanwhile, Ravess was now becoming frustrated as she fired more arrows, hoping they would be able to hit any target. Aerrow and Starling already had the woman right where they wanted her by each shooting out a fire ball from their fists. The flames reduced every arrow to ashes, which made Ravess shout with unmitigated fury.

"Not so fun now, is it!" Starling said provokingly.

The Interceptor then did a flip from her sky ride and fired a long jet of flame from her foot. Ravess saw the attack coming and turned her Switchblade around to avoid it. The flame scorched the underside of the Switchblade, making Ravess cry out in pain from feeling the hot metal against her feet.

A whistle then filled Ravess's ears and she looked up front to see Aerrow smirking at her and forming a tornado between his hands. The Sky Knight brought his hands forward and unleashed the swirling air that hit Ravess right in the chest and forced her to grab on to her controls as she was launched away screaming.

Back on the terra's surface, Snipe stood with the last of the crystal soldiers by his side. He emitted laughter that sounded like a hunter savouring the moment of his prey trying to crawl away for life.

"What'cha gonna do now?" said Snipe. "You think you can take on all of us? Well, I've got news for ya: it ends here!"

Snipe then swung his mace horizontally and made the spiked ball extend from the chain. Aang saw this attack coming so he brought up his hands to make air shoot out that knocked the ball to his left. All the crystal soldiers standing to that side had then shattered when the ball smashed into their bodies.

Toph then took this opportunity to make two large walls of earth fold up on the other soldiers and crushed them.

By that time Snipe had already retracted the ball on his mace and saw that he was now all alone against the Avatar's group. His pupils were narrowed and his face showed utter confusion, and he turned to the front to see Aang and the others with stern expressions.

"Uh," said Snipe, "can we call it a draw?"

Zuko jumped out in front and brought his hands together while he shouted. A large fire ball erupted from between his palms that sent Snipe flying away and screaming. The burly man landed a few feet away with a large scorch mark on the armour covering his chest.

Snipe stood up after the assault and dusted himself clean. All of a sudden, a pair of hands grasped his back. On instinct, the burly man turned around with his mace held high ready to strike whoever would dare sneak up on him. He lowered his weapon to find Domiwick standing there shivering in a cowardly fashion.

Already recognizing the explorer from his expedition into the Forbidden City, Snipe said, "You?"

"Yes, me," replied Domiwick. "You've gotta get me out of here. Please! I'll do whatever you want!"

The arrogant man then yelped in surprise when Snipe hoisted him up by his collar. To Snipe such cowardice was seen as a plea to be beaten to a pulp, but then he figured that this guy could be used for something.

"Okay," said Snipe. "I'll let you come. We'll probably need a janitor for our new hideout."

Snipe then ran off while still grabbing Domiwick by his collar back over to his Heli-Blade Elite. Domiwick was now frowning, thinking that he had gotten himself into a much worse situation than what the Storm Hawks did to him.

Ravess was now being chased in the sky from the Storm Hawks with Finn being the most persistent as he fired bolts while riding on Appa. With her current abilities, she knew that she was no match for them. She knew this was a risky move but she would have to endure the Dark Ace's wrath later and escape with her life.

"Snipe, let's get out of here!" cried the woman.

Hearing the call, Snipe started up his ride with Domiwick sitting behind him. The two siblings and the explorer took off into the sky away from the terra as they all dodged shots coming from Aerrow, Piper, Finn and Starling.

When the group saw they had won the battle, they all shouted cheers. The Storm Hawks' first time to use Bending while in combat had proven successful, and now they could apply it without worry. Aerrow and his teammates hovered in midair while the Avatar's group remained on the ground.

"Chica-cha!" Finn said, blowing away imaginary smoke from his trigger finger.

"You guys were amazing," said Aang. "You all showed yourselves to be true Benders."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," said Katara. "The way you handled Ravess was fantastic. I don't think there's anything else we could teach you."

"The Dark Ace isn't gonna be happy when he finds out you guys smacked his goons around," said Sokka.

"Thanks, you guys," said Piper. "It's too bad that Domiwick got away with them."

"That jerk isn't worth the trouble," said Aerrow. "I say let the Dark Ace do whatever he wants to him."

"Hey, guys," said Zuko. "I know this is the time we should celebrate, but I think that we should get moving."

"You're right," said Starling. "Now that Ravess and Snipe know we're here, we need to find another place where we can take shelter. This terra will probably be swarming with the Dark Ace's troops when he hears the news."

"Good idea," said Aerrow. "Well guys, it looks like we've got a long road ahead of us. I hope you're all prepared to face the unknown, because there's no telling what the Dark Ace is gonna throw our way next."

Everyone else nodded. They knew a major battle was up ahead, and they knew that there was no turning back. With their goal in mind, everyone boarded the _Condor_ and left Terra Neverlandis to find their next destination.

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><p>BlueTiger321: All right! So folks, all I can say is stay tuned for the next chapter, because I can assure you that it's going to leave you on the edge of your seat. Until next time, be sure to read and review!<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: Recruits

Chapter 10: Recruits

BlueTiger321: Hi folks, and welcome to the next chapter. This one is going to be a real eye-opener, because I'm sure it's something that none of you would ever expect. Enjoy!

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><p>Ravess and Snipe had just returned to Terra Bogaton once the sun was setting and turned the sky a bright orange. Their last encounter with the Storm Hawks and their companions was an utter failure, even with the Dark Ace's added power. Now they didn't know how they were going to explain it to him.<p>

The two siblings flew their sky rides towards Repton's lair, which was a large brown tower that looked like a habitat for any kind of reptile. It now served as the base for Dark Ace's alliance.

Once Ravess and Snipe had parked their rides, they slowly walked up to the main chamber where the Dark Ace and Repton were currently standing. The room had a large wall in the back filled with the shields of all the Sky Knight squadrons that Repton ever defeated in battle. Only one spot was empty, and Repton cursed himself every day for having been beaten by the Sky Knight and robbed of his trophy.

The Raptor leader was the first one to notice the arrival of his comrades. "Well, looks who's come back," he said. "I didn't think it would take you this long to spread the message."

The Dark Ace could already tell what happened to his partners. "It looks to me like things didn't go smoothly for them."

"You're darn right it didn't go smoothly!" shouted Snipe. He then received a blow to his head by his sister, making him shout in agony and rub his sore spot.

"Shut up, you idiot!" scorned Ravess. Her eyes turned back over to the Dark Ace. "We met up with the Storm Hawks, and we regrettably—"

"—failed?" Dark Ace finished. "I know."

Snipe was left speechless. "How did you know?"

The Dark Ace rolled his eyes at the thought of hearing such a stupid question. "Oh, please. You think I don't recognize the looks on your faces? Back when we worked for Cyclonis, I could always tell from your pathetic façades that the Storm Hawks had beaten you. I could also tell from the legions I gave to you; I could see through their eyes the battle that took place."

"What?" Ravess said angrily. "You saw the whole battle, and yet you chose to do nothing to assist us? How dare you! You're supposed to be our partner, but instead you treat us like servants!"

"Yeah!" agreed Snipe. "How is this any different than when Cyclonis made us do her dirty work?"

The Dark Ace had just about enough of the bickering. To show the siblings he wasn't fooling around, he stomped his foot on the floor and made the entire building shake as his body pulsed with a red aura. Ravess, Snipe and Repton all tried to keep themselves steady from the earthquake created from Dark Ace's rage. When the shaking finally stopped, the Dark Ace's body still pulsed with energy while he faced the others.

"Don't _ever_ compare me to Cyclonis!" the man shouted. "That feeble girl would've been lucky if she possessed one-tenth of the power I wield! And if I wanted you as my servants, then I would've sent you after the Storm Hawks by yourselves. The soldiers I created to assist you helped me to see how they've developed. I see now that their friends from the other world have trained them to use the same abilities they have of manipulating the elements. They thought that now they have the advantage? Well, they're wrong!"

The furious energy surrounding the Dark Ace faded as he resumed his composure. The outburst from the man had made everyone else realize that it would be in their best interests to never anger or insult him again.

Just then, Domiwick had come into the room once he was sure it was safe. He truly had no idea what was going on and hoped that he would get some answers.

Repton saw the man enter and was confused by how he came to his lair. His boomerang was pointed up and ignited at the intruder. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The explorer was a bit shaken by the tone but then stood up straight. "I'm I. J. Domiwick, the greatest explorer in Atmos."

The Dark Ace looked directly at the man. "I know you," he said. "Cyclonis used you just to get to the Forbidden City. What are you doing here?"

"I brought 'im," Snipe answered. "The spineless wimp begged me to bring him along, so I figured he might be good for something."

A contemplating face was frozen on the Dark Ace as he looked at Domiwick, who gave a sheepish smile and a wave. Maybe, Dark Ace thought, this man could be someone they need, and maybe it would make the others happy to know that there's someone lower-ranked than them. A smile crept onto his face when he made his decision.

"Very well," said the Dark Ace. "It would be useful for him to have in our army."

"Me, fight?" said Domiwick. "But I'm a scientist, not a soldier."

"I don't see any other use for you. If you don't take it, then you're garbage. And any garbage I find gets thrown into the Wasteland!"

Domiwick gulped nervously at the threat. This wasn't what he was hoping for but it would be better than getting tossed off the terra and fall to his certain death. "Whatever you say, Sir," he said in salute.

"Now that that's settled," said Repton, "what are we going to do about the Storm Hawks?"

"Ah, yes, the Storm Hawks." The Dark Ace paced around the room to think of an idea. "We're going to need some more recruits, some people who are able-bodied and hold just as big a grudge against those worms as us. Also, we'll need someone to deal with their little friends as well. If only we had someone capable from the other world."

"Hopefully not that psychotic girl Azula," said Ravess. "That witch was even worse than Cyclonis!"

"Touché," replied Dark Ace. Azula was going to be his first choice, but then thinking back about everything she did to him had made him think otherwise.

"Also," said Repton, "how do you propose we cross over to that other world? It's not like we have one of those crystals lying around!"

"You forget: I can will my powers to do whatever I want," said the Dark Ace. He then stopped his pacing and looked at the others. "If I just had something belonging to those other children, then I could find out if they have any other enemies."

The Dark Ace looked up and then noticed something unusual. Sticking out from Snipe's shoulder plate was a lock of brown hair. It was weird to him since it didn't match the hair colour from anyone in this room or from the Storm Hawks, so he figured it must be from one of the people from the other world.

"What have we here?" said the Dark Ace.

Lifting his hand, the Dark Ace telepathically brought the hair from Snipe's shoulder over to him and made it levitate in front of his face. He then focused his powers on the strands to figure out from whose head it belonged. A few seconds later, the Dark Ace had the image of Katara in his head, which made him open his eyes in realization.

"Yes," said the Dark Ace. "This hair came from that girl who controls the water. It's lucky for us that it came to be in our possession. Now I can use it to link to her mind and analyze it to see any of her least-favourite people."

A deep breath was drawn from the Dark Ace while he put himself into a meditative-like state. He focused his powers on Katara's hair and linked it to her mind. Once the link was established, the man combed through all the girl's memories to see if anyone from her world would be willing to join his forces. Much to his chagrin, he found that most of the enemies she faced were either deceased, incapable of fighting, or they switched sides.

Just as he was about to give up, the Dark Ace then found two people still alive in her world who seemed to be perfect candidates. He could feel a deep hatred from looking at them, and that was just what he needed for his army.

The Dark Ace opened his eyes and let the hair blow away once he was done with it. "I know exactly who we need," he said.

With a grunt, the man activated his power and brought his arms to his sides. A red beam of light then burst out from each side that made two separate forms. Everyone watched to see the forms shift around until they both looked exactly like the Dark Ace.

"Now _that's_ freaky!" said Snipe.

The Dark Ace in the middle then spoke. "I'll be back shortly."

"I just have some soldiers to recruit," said the Dark Ace on the left.

"With what I can offer them, they'll have to say yes," said the one on the right.

The three Dark Aces each laughed and then teleported out of the room as they each set out for their destination, leaving the others behind to wonder what the man had in mind.

* * *

><p>The Atmosian Stockade Prison was a dismal place filled with the worst criminals ever to wreak havoc in the known parts of Atmos. It was filled with maximum security to keep the inmates from ever escaping and to ensure the safety of the people. Deep in the hearts of the prisoners, they each held a strong desire to seek their retribution against the ones who imprisoned them just to ease their own sanity.<p>

One such prisoner was Carver, the former Sky Knight of the Red Eagles. The man sat in his cell in his former squadron's red and black outfit with his armour and weapon confiscated. He combed his hand through his spiky brown hair while his light brown eyes looked up at the window to see that it was almost nightfall. For his own personal tastes, he also had a small brown goatee just under his lower lip.

Through all his time in prison he contemplated what got him here: betraying all of Atmos to get the Aurora Stone to Cyclonis, striking down his own teammates, manipulating the Storm Hawks to believe he was a victim of mind control, and trying to get his revenge on Aerrow.

Carver couldn't believe it: he had been beaten by Aerrow twice. A man for his size and strength would be ashamed to have been defeated by a mere fourteen-year-old boy. He clenched his fists and grunted under his breath. Nothing else mattered to him anymore; all he wanted was to break out of this abysmal place and kill Aerrow.

Suddenly, a ball of red light appeared in the middle of Carver's cell. The man was frightened by the sight and was about to call the guards when the light got bigger. Carver tried to get out of the way until his back was against the wall. He was about to call out but then realized that his cell was isolated from the others and his voice would not carry out far enough to reach the ears of the guards.

The light then burst out with a huge flash, forcing Carver to scream and cover his eyes with his hands. When Carver's eyes could sense darkness again, he removed his hands and opened his eyes in shock and his mouth agape. There standing in front of him was the Dark Ace.

Carver needed no explanation about who this man was; he already deduced him to be the most feared Talon in Cyclonia. "What's going on here?" he said. "Why are you here, and how did you do that?"

"Oh, it's one of my new tricks," replied the Dark Ace. "As for why I'm here, it's concerning you."

Carver had no idea about what really happened to Cyclonis, which is why he made an assumption. "What is it? Does Cyclonis want me back? I didn't think she was so forgiving to the ones who failed her."

"Cyclonis is out of the picture," said the Dark Ace. "I've cut my ties with her, as have all the others who served under her ludicrous ruling. I'm here to recruit you as part of my own alliance."

The former Sky Knight felt intrigued by the offer, but still he felt there had to be a reason. "Why do you want me? What is it about me that made you think I'm perfect?"

"Because, I know that you have a burning hatred for the ones who put you in this wretched place. I'm here to offer you the chance to seek your vengeance. With my powers, I can make that happen. All you have to do is pledge your loyalty to me."

The Dark Ace gave Carver a moment to let the information sink in, and from his point of view he could see a wicked smile forming on the disgraced Sky Knight. To him it was the smile of someone wanting to get what they so desired out of life and they would do it at any cost for self-satisfaction. Dark Ace already knew what Carver's answer was going to be but decided to let the man answer anyway.

"Mister, you've got yourself a deal," said Carver. "If it means I get to put Aerrow in a shallow grave, then I would follow you to the end of the Atmos."

Dark Ace's laughter filled the cell when he got the response he expected. Now he would have one more follower to his alliance. He extended his hand, and Carver willingly took it as a sign to shake so they could assure their deal.

In an instant, the Dark Ace activated his power and teleported himself and the former Sky Knight out of the cell and back to Terra Bogaton where they could formulate their next plan.

* * *

><p>It was currently night time in the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se. The large metropolis was now filled with lit lampposts while the citizens headed on home to rest for the next day. Unbeknownst to any of the denizens, a vile man was kept within the most secure area in the very centre of the city.<p>

Deep within the palace in the Upper Ring, a metal cell was constructed to hold the Earth Kingdom's most treacherous and deceptive prisoner, Long Feng. The former advisor sat within the middle of his cell wearing only gray clothing while his long black hair hung loose behind his back and his black beard was growing unkempt. His wrists and ankles were shackled to the floor to take extra precaution so he would not be able to Earthbend his way to escape.

Long Feng lifted up his head, and his green eyes looked at the bars on the door where a faint light came in. He could not believe that he had been punished for everything he had tried to do to keep the city safe from the horrors of the outside world. All he ever wanted was his own utopia, and he could not believe that it was foiled by a band of children.

His mind then flooded with the memories of how he was captured by that very same group along with those strange-looking people. He blamed them for everything that went wrong, and he considered those people lucky that he was in prison or else he would hunt them down and make them pay.

While Long Feng was still contemplating his thoughts, he could see out of the corner of his eye that a red light was shining right behind him. Turning his head revealed to him that a ball of red light was creating it. Long Feng was perplexed by this thing suddenly showing up in his cell and couldn't understand why it was here.

"What in the world?" he said.

The light grew larger and erupted in a flash, forcing Long Feng to groan and shut his eyes to avoid being blinded. Darkness was then in the room again, and the prisoner looked up and gasped. There was a man he had never seen before smiling at him.

"Hello," said the Dark Ace. "Am I in the presence of Long Feng?"

Long Feng narrowed his eyes and felt suspicious. He didn't know how this stranger knew his name but he was going to find out. "You are," he replied. "And who might you be?"

"I am known as the Dark Ace." He got a look around his cell. "Well, it certainly is dull in here."

"So glad you agree. I'm in here because it's the only way they can prevent me from Earthbending. As much as I hate to admit it, it works."

The Dark Ace let out a short chuckle. "Well, what would you say...?"

Long Feng then interrupted the man when he deduced why he was here. "I think I already know what you're going to say. The only possible reason why you would ever come to a place like this just to see me is because you want me to join you for whatever cause it is you are striving to achieve. I must admit that your ability to transport yourself here is impressive and surely you have other unique skills, but let me ask you this: Why should I join you?"

A smile crept onto the Dark Ace's face. He was amazed that this man had already assumed so much just by looking at him. Already, the Dark Ace could tell that Long Feng would be a sublime choice to attain his goals.

"My, my," said Dark Ace. "So quick to the point. I like that." Nodding his head, he continued to explain his reason. "Yes, I am here to break you out of here and to see if you will join me for my own aspirations."

Long Feng nodded his head but had to ask more questions before he would make his decision. "It is a tempting offer, but do you have something that will make it worth my while?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," replied Dark Ace. "If you haven't already figured it out, I am from the world that is parallel to yours. I already know who put you here: the Avatar's group along with their friends. What you don't know is that the ones who joined with the Avatar are my enemies.

"I want you to come with me to my world so we'll take them down and secure my own regime over Atmos. This way, you will be a free man and you will have your revenge. All I ask in return is your loyalty."

Long Feng opened his eyes wide. The idea of how this man and his enemies were related to each other was confusing at first, but it soon became irrelevant since the offer of getting out of prison and dealing with the Avatar was too good an opportunity to ignore. The man stood up, which made his chains rattle when they had been disturbed. He then looked the Dark Ace straight in the eye.

"I have one more request I wish to ask of you," said Long Feng.

"Name it," said the Dark Ace.

"Once I complete your task, you must do me the honour of seizing my control back on the Earth Kingdom. That pathetic excuse for a king has no right to be sitting on that throne! The sole reason of what Ba Sing Se is today is my doing, and so I should be the rightful ruler. If you can promise me this, then you have my word that I shall do whatever it takes until the Avatar and his companions are out of commission."

The Dark Ace understood the terms and saw that he and this man were one and the same: they both wanted power. "You drive a hard bargain," he said. "All right, then. When your work is done, you will have everything you desire."

"Excellent," Long Feng said with a devilish smile.

Now that the pact was set, the Dark Ace extended his hand and created a red aura around Long Feng's shackles. The power contained in the aura forced the shackles to pull apart and snap like twigs once the metal's endurance had reached its limit. The broken shackles lied on the floor, and Long Feng was now on his way to freedom.

"Now then," said the Dark Ace, "I think it's time we made our exit before anyone catches on to our plans."

In that instant, the Dark Ace placed his hand on Long Feng's arm, and the former Talon used his power to teleport him and his new ally out of the cell in a flash of red light. They would return to Atmos to begin their ultimate goal of world conquest and to punish those who did them wrong.

* * *

><p>Dawn had just arrived on a section of the Fire Nation. There sitting out in the middle of a vast forest was a large prison that stood out with its brown bricks against the foliage. Guards were still patrolling the area to make sure that no prisoner would even have the notion of escaping.<p>

In this prison was one cell where a true criminal to the Fire Nation was being held: the Waterbender, Hama. The old woman had used her advanced form of Waterbending to punish the people of the Fire Nation for the torment she had endured many years ago as a prisoner of war.

Hama sat in her cell with her wrists and ankles chained to the wall to prevent her from using any Waterbending, and, as an extra precaution, the window in her cell was sealed so she could not tap in to the moonlight to perform her most dangerous technique. Her clothes were a faded red and her long grey hair rolled down past her shoulders.

With each passing moment that the old Waterbender sat in her cell, her hatred for the Fire Nation grew. But most of all, her hatred for the girl who put a stop to her vengeance, Katara, was even greater than that. She thought that someone from her own tribe would understand the pain and suffering she had been subjected to, but then she saw that the girl's own self-righteousness was too strong and clouded her vision. At least, Hama thought, she was able to pass on her most powerful Waterbending move, and so Katara would have to carry that burden for the rest of her life.

Hama lifted up her head and her gray eyes saw a ball of red light appearing in her cell. This was an amazing sight for her and she didn't know what to make of it. All of a sudden, the light emitted a large flash, and the old woman had to close her eyes just to protect herself from the blinding luminescence.

The cell became dark again, and Hama gasped when she saw a man stand before her in clothes she didn't recognize from any part of any nation.

"Hello," said the Dark Ace. "You must be Hama."

The old woman smiled on her wrinkled face. "Well," she said, "you look like an interesting fellow. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, it's quite simple, really. I'm here to get you out and bring you to my world."

"Your world?" Hama could not believe her ears but then relaxed. "Well, I guess there isn't any other explanation for the way you're dressed or the way you found yourself here."

"Indeed," said the Dark Ace.

Hama then decided to test what this man knew about her. "But let me ask you something: Why do you want to break an old woman out of prison? Surely you don't think I'm capable of helping you in any way."

"Oh, I happen to know more than you think. I know all about how you were imprisoned in your youthful days, how you plotted every single day of your life to crushing those who were responsible, and how you were also put here by Katara."

The old woman opened her eyes wide in shock. "You've seen Katara?"

"Seen her?" said the Dark Ace. "She happens to be someone I'm trying to stop, along with my own adversaries. You see, that's the whole reason why I've come here. With your abilities, we'll be able to stop them and I can rule my world the way I see fit!"

Hama thought long and hard about the offer. It would be her ultimate chance to finally exact revenge on the girl and make Katara feel as miserable as she was after being in prison for a long time. But then, Hama decided that she would want something in return.

"I'll do anything to make Katara pay," said Hama, "but on one condition."

"What is it?"

"When I'm done with whatever plan you have, you and I are going to make the Fire Nation crumble to dust! This kingdom has been nothing but a plight on my world for a long time, and I'm going to have the honour of wiping it off the map!"

The Dark Ace chuckled to himself. "How can I say no to a feisty old lady like you?"

Once again, the man used his power to create a red aura around the shackles to break them. Hama stood up once her restraints were gone and stared up at the Dark Ace. She got the feeling that this mission was going to be filled with peril, but it would all be worth it when she would see Katara's horrified face when she delivers the final blow.

The Dark Ace then touched a hand to Hama's shoulder, and the two of them vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

><p>Back on Terra Bogaton, Ravess, Snipe and Repton all waited patiently for the Dark Ace to return with whatever reinforcements he would gather. It now seemed like their comrade would take longer than they thought if they were going to expect anything from him.<p>

Suddenly, three flashes of light appeared before them that forced them all to cover their eyes with their hands. The room was dim again, and there were the three parts of the Dark Ace standing with the people he recruited at the same time.

Carver, Long Feng and Hama all walked out to meet their new allies for their mission. The two people from the Avatar's world were a bit startled to see something like this but were even more shocked to see Repton.

"What on earth are you?" said Hama to Repton. "Some kind of lizard freak?"

The Raptor leader snarled at the old woman. "Watch it, granny!" he said. "I'm fiercer than I look."

Long Feng gave Ravess and Snipe a glance. "I assume these are the peons who will serve under us?"

"Peons?" Ravess said in an enraged voice. She then notched an arrow in her bow. "Nobody calls me a peon!"

"Silence!" the Dark Ace's said in unison.

Everyone calmed down and turned around as they saw the three forms of the Dark Ace meld back into one.

"We shouldn't waste our energy fighting each other," said Dark Ace. "I brought you all here just so we can take out the Storm Hawks and their friends, and to bring Atmos to its knees."

"So what's next on our agenda?" said Carver.

Repton stepped up to answer the question. "My boys have already called in to say that they saw the _Condor_ heading east."

"Then that is where we shall go," said the Dark Ace. He soon brought his hands together and formed his face into a malicious smile. "I don't think any of them will expect what we have in store, but I'm sure they'll be presently surprised."

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: O_O Yikes! Now <em>this<em> spells trouble!

Dark Ace: You've got that right. Now we're going to win for sure!

BlueTiger321: Don't get your hopes up. Anyway folks, I hope this all left you finding out what's going to happen next, so stay tuned for the next awesome chapter. Until next time...

Dark Ace: Read and review, or else! *laughs maniacally*


	11. Chapter 11: Royal Treatment

Chapter 11: Royal Treatment

BlueTiger321: Well, now the Storm Hawks and the Aang Gang definitely have their work cut out for them. Will things go smoothly for them in this chapter? You'll just have to read on and find out for yourselves.

* * *

><p>Dusk had just reached its breaking point when the <em>Condor<em> flew through the skies. It had been quite some time since the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group left Terra Neverlandis after their battle with Ravess and Snipe. They all hoped to reach a new safe haven so they could rest and get to work on their next strategy.

Everyone sat in the bridge while they gazed out at the deep orange sky. Fatigue was now setting inside each of them and they did not know how much longer they could keep going until they all collapsed to the floor. But they knew they had to be diligent if they were going to be successful in their quest, because everyone in Atmos would depend on them.

Aerrow got up to the window to look out, his eyes closing momentarily and then snapping back open before he leaned on the glass. He looked out again, only to feel his eyes close shut once more. This time he was awakened when he felt a nudge against his leg. Looking down on the floor revealed to him Radarr, who gave out a worried chirp while trying to keep his friend focused.

"Hey, Aerrow?" said Katara. "Do you think we'll be able to find someplace soon?"

"Yeah," said Junko. "That last fight really took a lot out of us."

"I'm sure we'll find somewhere to rest," said Aerrow. "We've just gotta keep searching and we'll be there."

Sokka looked at his sister and could see the exhaustion in her eyes. He spoke up by saying, "Well, we better find it fast, or else Katara's gonna be _really_ cranky if she doesn't get her beauty sleep. You see, there was one time when she argued with Toph while we all barely got any sleep, and then she—"

The story was interrupted when Sokka received a blow to the arm from Katara, who gave him a menacing look. To the boy it was the look that he was not supposed to continue with that story because he knew it was an unpleasant time for all his friends.

"Uh, never mind," said Sokka.

(A/N: I'm sure you all know that one part of _The Chase_ where Katara had her ultra-crazy face! That's what I was going for here! XD)

Stork yawned while he still piloted his beloved ship. "Man, I sure hope we land soon," he said, "'cause even I can't fly without some rest. And you all better pray that I don't end up crashing us all into the Wasteland when I fall asleep at the controls."

Everyone gave the Merb a worried look. They didn't know if he was joking or if he was serious about his remark. Then they decided it would be better if they didn't ask him about it.

"Let's try to take our minds off sleep and think about what's going on for us right now," said Starling.

"Good idea," said Aang. "Well, I've gotta say that you're all doing your Bending really—"

"I can't take it anymore!" shouted Finn. "I've gotta get some sleep!"

The blonde sharpshooter yelped in surprise when he was hit in the back and fell face forward onto the table in the middle of the bridge. Toph stood behind with her fist extended while Finn sat up from the assault.

"Snap out of it, will ya?" said the blind girl. "I know it's hard for us right now, but we've gotta keep goin' no matter what."

Finn sighed with relief when he realized he almost lost his sanity. "Thanks, Toph. I needed that."

Toph once again knocked the marksman to the table again, making him yelp in pain when he hit the hard surface. Finn sat up again but this time gave the girl an exasperated look.

"Just making sure," said Toph.

Aerrow knew that he was about to lose his sanity as well if they find someplace to land. But then he remembered that his navigator was still trying to get a fix on their location. "Piper, have you found where we are yet?"

"I'm working on it," replied the girl. After looking at the charts in front of her and reading the ship's dials, she then realized what it all meant. "Guys, according to these coordinates, we should be approaching Terra Klockstoppia."

The boy Sky Knight couldn't believe his ears. "Terra Klockstoppia? Are you sure?"

"Positive," replied Piper. "There's no mistaking these readings."

"Yeah," Finn said while rolling his eyes, "because you're _always_ so perfect."

A huff from Piper was the only response Finn had gotten. To her it was a big deal since this terra kind of held some value to her, and Finn's earlier comment was just another childish ridicule about her navigation abilities.

"What's so special about this place?" said Aang.

"You'll find out soon enough," Aerrow said with a smile. "Stork, full speed ahead."

The carrier pilot complied with his Sky Knight and pushed on the _Condor's_ throttle to make it go faster. Everyone sat back to enjoy the ride as they passed through the clouds and noticed a wooden windmill with metal blades go right by the ship.

Piper smiled as she recognized the windmill and was certain this was the place she knew it would be. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw a large castle in the distance. From its enormous structure, Piper identified it as the castle of this terra's ruler.

The crystal mage turned her attention to the Avatar's group. "Guys, welcome to Terra Klockstoppia."

Aang and the others all stood up to get a view of the terra. Their impression of it wasn't different than what they saw of the terras they already visited, but they would have faith in what the others mentioned to them.

"So," said Zuko, "what should we expect from this place?"

"Oh, it's got a few surprises," said Piper.

"I can't believe I've never heard of this terra," said Starling. "How did you come across it?"

Piper recounted the first time she came to Terra Klockstoppia. "It all started back when I was mapping an uncharted area. I just happened to fly into this terra and meet up with the ruler."

"Yeah," said Aerrow. "I'm sure you'll all be in for the shock of your life."

The Avatar's group had been left puzzled by what the red-haired teen told them. They weren't sure what it meant, nor were they sure if Aerrow was being serious or making a joke. They thought it would be exciting if they would find out for themselves.

Stork gently landed the _Condor_ down on a barren patch of ground and shut off the engines. When everything was settled, the group all walked out of the ship and headed down the ramp.

Appa had jumped off the runway and landed with a large thump that almost shook everyone in surprise. He then gave a large growl when he was joined up with his companion just as Momo flew up and landed on Aang's shoulders.

The group was about to head towards the castle when a trio of guards came up with their weapons raised.

"Halt!" said one of the guards. "Who goes there?"

The Storm Hawks walked out to answer for themselves with Aerrow getting up front.

"It's all right," said the Sky Knight. "We're the Storm Hawks."

"The Storm Hawks?" said another guard. "Explain yourselves!"

This time, Piper got up to answer. "We're friends of Princess Peregrine. We've come to speak with her."

The third guard approached the girl and his eyes were wide with amazement. He thought back and remembered how the princess was involved in an incident with these people and knew right then and there that the group could be trusted.

"You speak the truth," said guard three. "We shall take you to see the princess right away."

The Storm Hawks all smiled while the Avatar's group relaxed and all blew sighs of relief. Now they were finally going to see why their friends felt so eager to come to this place.

Everyone walked up to the castle when the guards stopped them before they could cross the stone bridge. The group was confused and thought they were done having to explain themselves.

"What's goin' on?" said Finn.

"I'm sorry," said guard three, "but your animal companions will have to wait in the stables; its basic regulation."

Radarr felt a little insulted by what the guard said. The little guy always thought himself as a member of the team, not as an animal. It wouldn't be fair to him that he had to be separated from his friends just so they could speak with someone they knew.

"But Radarr and I are close," said Aerrow.

"Yeah," said Aang. "The same with me, Appa and Momo."

"I'm sorry," said the guard, "but I cannot let you into the castle if you don't comply."

Piper could see this was a difficult situation and knew how to resolve it. "Maybe we should do what he says. After all, it's not like we're gonna be away from them forever. We'll just have a quick chat with the princess and then we can straighten this out."

Aerrow sighed. He still didn't like this rule, but he knew he had to follow it. "Okay," he said. "Radarr, you stay out here with Appa and Momo."

The co-pilot let out a displeased chirp and leapt off Aerrow's shoulders. Hearing that coming from his own friend made him rather upset and he didn't want to look at his friend right at that moment. On the inside he was a little hurt that he would be away from the boy and wished that it would not have to come to this.

Aang turned around to face his sky bison. "Hey, buddy," he said. "Sorry, but you'll have to wait out here for now. But at least you won't be alone."

Appa let out a growl while Momo flew up to join him on the saddle. Once it was done, the three animals walked off with the second guard to head for the stables.

The boy Sky Knight looked off worriedly and wondered if he said the wrong thing to his friend. "I hope Radarr's not too mad at me."

"He can't be," said Junko. "The little guy likes ya too much."

"He probably won't hold too big a grudge," said Stork, "if you can beg for his forgiveness."

Aerrow didn't contemplate his thoughts for too long as he joined the others into the castle where they would meet the princess. His mind was telling him not to spend too much time worrying about his friend since he knew that what he did was for Radarr's own good.

Everyone followed the guards into a large chamber where at the end was a throne situated high atop a raised platform and a long, elegant red carpet that stretched across the room. A chandelier was suspended from the ceiling and its crystals sparkled from the setting sun to cast bits of light around the room.

The group approached the throne where the princess was currently seated. The Storm Hawks already knew what to expect the moment they saw her face, but Starling and the others all gasped upon seeing the ruler.

"What is it?" asked Toph. "Can someone explain this to me?"

"I don't believe it!" said Katara.

Sokka rubbed his eyes and thought the image was a result of him being tired; seeing the exact same face had made him realize that it was real. "It's uncanny!" he said.

Princess Peregrine, the ruler of Terra Klockstoppia, stood up to greet her guests. The girl looked exactly like Piper, from her yellow eyes to her dark skin and midnight-blue hair. The only differences were that she was dressed in a long, flowing pink dress, her hair was done up in curls, and she wore a golden tiara on top of her head.

"Can this be real?" said Starling.

"What is it?" said Toph.

"It's the princess," Aang explained. "She looks exactly like Piper!"

Toph stood dumbfounded when she heard what Aang told her—it was not the answer she ever expected. "You're kidding, right?" She then punched Aang in the arm that made him yelp. "Way to tease the blind girl, Twinkle Toes!"

"Aang's not joking," said Zuko. "The princess actually looks like Piper."

"Princess," said another voice.

Everyone turned their heads to see another person enter the chamber. There they saw a middle-aged man walk up to them wearing a brown suit and his gray hair tied back into a ponytail. His brown eyes were narrowed as he walked across the room, staring intently at the princess along with the guests.

"Regent," said the princess. "What news do you have for me?"

The man referred to as the Regent stepped forth to give the princess an update, though he secretly despised everything about what he had become. "I'm here to report that the fruit bats have been fed, the annual Paint-Drying Tournament will begin next week, and the spaghetti trees have been harvested."

"Excellent work," said Peregrine.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The Regent then clenched his teeth while he bowed before the princess to show his respect while keeping in his contempt.

"Okay," said Sokka. "Can someone explain what's happened here?"

Piper turned around to face the group. "Well, you see, a long time ago, I flew my Heliscooter to map some uncharted terras, and that's when I wound up here and met Princess Peregrine."

"Please," said the princess. "You're still my friends, so you can just call me Perry."

The crystal mage was a little confused by the statement. "Really? I didn't think you'd be so casual anymore."

Perry chuckled. "Of course," she said. "Just because I'm a princess, it doesn't mean that I have to be entirely formal with my friends."

"Right," said Piper, and then turned back to the Avatar's group and Starling. "Anyway, Perry was cooped up in this castle and wanted to experience a life of adventure. So she switched places with me, albeit forcefully."

The princess smiled apologetically and gave a short laugh. "Yeah, I'm still sorry about that."

Piper continued the story. "So, I got to be treated to the life of a princess while Perry got to go on the _Condor_."

"Yeah," added Stork, "and she almost completely wrecked my ship in the process."

"I'm sorry about that, too," said Perry. "I never meant to cause any trouble for you."

"It's all in the past," said Aerrow, brushing it off like it was irrelevant.

Piper nodded and continued. "Well, shortly afterwards, the Night Crawlers had invaded Terra Klockstoppia to raid their crystals, which, at the time, were forbidden here. But then Perry came back to help me and we sent Cyclonis's goons packing."

After hearing the story, everyone now understood how the princess knew the Storm Hawks so well: it was by a chance encounter that their paths crossed but they could see that it was something that led to a good friendship.

"So," said Starling to Perry, "what did you think of the life of a Sky Knight squadron?"

"It really changed my life," replied the princess. "I thought that it was a way for me to escape my responsibilities when it actually opened my eyes to the truth. I was destined to become a ruler, and so I thought that I should take my authority seriously." A smirk then formed on her face. "Though, from time to time, I still like to have my own adventures."

Perry then reached behind her back and pulled up two hand puppets: one of a woman dressed in a purple gown and golden tiara, and the other of a beastly humanoid with bushy hair. She then made the woman puppet pull out a small wooden club that she used to hit the beast while the princess made grunting noises to show that the puppets were fighting.

The others all gave the princess an odd stare for her puppets, but Junko happily watched the display like a child looking at a candy store.

"Wow! That looks fun!" said the Wallop.

Piper rolled her eyes while she viewed her friend's silly antics. She thought she had now matured into the ruler she was but then realized that she was still a child and could hardly be blamed for her reasons. "I see you're still enjoying your time with Lady Ursula and Dr. Ogre."

Perry stopped her display and put away her puppets. "Yes. Well, enough about me. It's great that you've all come to Terra Klockstoppia." Her attention was now focused on the Avatar's group, and she didn't know who they were or why they were dressed in such unusual clothing. "Who are your companions?"

Each of them got up to introduce themselves. "My name's Aang."

"I'm Katara."

The girl's brother gave a slight bow to the princess. "I am Sokka, milady."

"The name's Toph."

"I'm Fire Lord Zuko. It's an honour to meet with you, Princess."

The Interceptor got up to the princess to give her greeting. "I'm Starling, the Sky Knight of the Interceptors from Terra Mesa."

Perry understood the woman from another terra, but still she could not fathom the others. "So, what terra do you all come from?"

"Actually," said Aerrow, "they're not from anywhere in Atmos; they come from a world that's parallel to ours."

The princess widened her eyes in surprise. "Seriously?" she said. "That's amazing! So why are you here?"

"We brought them here just so they could get to see our world," said Piper. "A long time ago, we met them when the Cyclonians tried to get rid of us. After a hair-raising adventure, we came back to Atmos and then defeated Cyclonia.

"We then managed to find our friends again, and that's why they're here now."

"But there's a whole new problem," said Aerrow. "One of Cyclonia's most dangerous people, the Dark Ace, has returned and now has more power than we could ever imagine. We've come here just so we can have a place to recuperate and so we can figure out our next plan so we can stop him."

"I know this is on such short notice," said Piper, "but will you please help us?"

Perry mulled over the request. She could see in everyone's eyes that they were serious about their predicament and they had come to her in their time of need. She thought it would be a risky move since her terra wasn't entirely prepared for such a threat, but then she remembered how the Storm Hawks had managed to save her home already—that was when their friendship had formed. Plus, she thought, it might be something to settle her need for an adventure once again.

"Very well," said the princess. "You may stay here for as long as you need. After all, I would do anything to help those who are close to me."

The group all smiled with praise. Now they would finally have a place where they could formulate their next move against the Dark Ace's forces.

"Thank you, Perry," said Aerrow. "I promise you, we'll do whatever it takes to make sure that all of Atmos is safe once again."

The princess turned around to face the Regent. "Would you please show our guests to their rooms?"

The Regent felt taken aback that the princess would give him such a demeaning order. Now he was filled with absolute rage but still contained it like a kettle holding in steam. "Yes, Your Highness," he said through a façade. "I would be delighted."

Everyone then followed the Regent out of the chamber, but Piper stayed momentarily as she pondered the Regent's reactions to Perry. Somehow, she got the feeling that he was up to something and it would involve her friend in a devastating way. The crystal mage narrowed her eyes and thought of what to do.

* * *

><p>Night time had now reached Terra Klockstoppia, and every citizen was about to turn into their beds; everyone but one man.<p>

The Regent paced angrily back and forth on the balcony of his quarters. He could not believe that he was forced to take directions from a teen-aged girl, especially after everything he had done to keep this kingdom in perfect order. It felt rather unjust to him since he was responsible for the day-to-day operations on Klockstoppia while the princess used to retreat to her own fantasy world. Now that she was in charge, she was bossing him around every chance she got.

He would not stand for this. The Regent sought things the way they used to be, where he took charge of everything in Klockstoppia and they would have no business with outsiders or crystals.

"It's not fair," said the man. "I shouldn't have to put up with this nonsense. I've built up this kingdom to what it is today, and that little airhead thinks she can just take my position? I should've taken over as ruler when I had the chance!"

The Regent was too busy ranting to take notice of five sky rides flying up behind him; his back was turned while he continued with his loathing of the princess.

"If only there were some way I could usurp the throne and take back what is rightfully mine," said the man, "then I wouldn't have to take any more grief from the princess or those wretched Storm Hawks!"

"I believe we can help each other," said a woman's voice.

The Regent felt startled by the voice, so he turned around and let out a gasp in shock to see a group of mysterious figures float before him. Their appearances were concealed by the darkness so he could not see their faces.

Fear started to creep up inside the Regent's body; it was so great that he could not move or call the guards. All he could say was, "W-w-what do you want?"

The woman looked on with her yellow eyes through the darkness and made a short laugh. "Well," she said, "what would you say if I could help you get what you want?"

The Regent posed a curious look when he was asked the question. His face then contorted into a smirk when he realized that this was the chance he was hoping for: to get back his control over this terra. "I'm listening," he said.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group walked down the hallway that led to their guestrooms that the Regent had shown to them earlier. They were now feeling tired and could not wait to finally crawl into bed. Everyone soon let out a deep yawn as they walked and did not want to discuss anything further for the rest of the day.<p>

"I can't wait to get some sleep," said Finn.

"You said it," said Sokka. "A day full of beating up bad guys and travelling from place to place can really take a lot out of you."

"I hope that Perry's servants were decent enough to thoroughly wash my sheets before I sleep," said Stork. "The thought of sleeping in used sheets just gives me the chills."

"Frankly I'd be happy to sleep on any decent bed," said Toph.

"I wonder if we made the right choice coming here?" said Katara. "I mean, we are kind of asking a lot from the princess."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind," said Starling. "She was kind enough to offer us such gracious hospitality after hearing what we're trying to accomplish."

"Yeah," said Aerrow. "And it's not like we could refuse, either. We need this time to prepare ourselves for whatever the Dark Ace is plotting."

Junko walked behind the others while he looked around and got the feeling that something was off. He cocked his head sideways and glanced around to count his friends. From where he was standing, he saw that only one person was missing from the group. "Hey, guys?" he said. "Where's Piper?"

Everyone stopped in the hallway when they also saw that Piper wasn't among them. They all thought it was strange that their friend would suddenly disappear like that since it wasn't like her.

"Piper!" called Aerrow.

Finn looked behind everyone and saw someone running towards them in the distance. Narrowing his eyes to get a better view, he made out the slender figure and the familiar dress. It then came to him when he knew who it was. "There she is!" he pointed out.

The others looked around and saw Piper return to them. The girl smiled when she was finally with the group.

"Sorry, guys," said the girl.

"Where were you?" asked Zuko.

Piper shifted her eyes around while she tried to figure out an explanation. "I... was looking around the castle, and I... sort of got lost."

Aerrow was a bit suspicious at first but then felt another yawn come to him. He was then happy with the response given by his teammate. "It's not important now. We're all here, so let's get some rest and get ready for tomorrow."

Nobody argued with Aerrow as they all headed for their rooms. Before any of them could open their doors, they all paused when they heard a loud shriek across the hallway that shook them out of their fatigue. From the sound of it, they figured the voice was female and it sounded extremely frightened—that's when they realized there's only one person in the castle who could emit such a terrified scream.

"The princess!" said Aerrow.

"It sounds like she's in trouble! We've gotta help her!" said Aang.

The group ran as fast as their legs would carry them down the hallway. If the princess truly was in danger, then they had to get to her as soon as possible. To Aerrow it was like his worst fears had come true: they came to seek refuge in Klockstoppia and ended up endangering Perry and everyone else who lived there. Well now, he thought, he was going to make up for his mistake and punish whoever was responsible.

Everyone ran down to the staircase before the chamber where they saw the giant doors opened, the guards on duty knocked unconscious, and a shadow moving into the room. It was then they figured that was where the princess was being held captive.

"Get ready, you guys!" said the red-haired teen.

Aerrow then drew his daggers from his back and ignited them while Finn brought out his crossbow, Starling drew her nunchucks, and Junko put on his Knuckle Busters and slammed them together to activate them. Piper had then brought out her staff and held it out in front of her. She then glanced away while she pressed the switch to extend it. Aerrow saw this and gave another suspicious glare at the girl, thinking it was strange that Piper would treat her own weapon poorly.

Aang had also brought out his staff while Sokka unsheathed his sword and the others got into their Bending stances. If this was what they thought it was, then they would be ready.

With a shout, Aerrow rushed through the door and got into a battle pose with his daggers extended. Everyone had followed the boy to do the same, and who was in the room left the Storm Hawks with flabbergasted expressions. The princess was now held struggling in the clutches of a man that Aerrow knew too well in his Sky Knight's squadron's suit and armour. A dagger was held in his right hand that was charged with red crystal energy and pointed dangerously close to the princess's throat.

"Carver!" shouted Aerrow.

"Surprised?" said the former Red Eagle. "I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd drop in."

Starling shared Aerrow's rage. "You coward!" she said. "I can't believe you would resort to taking hostages! I'm ashamed to think that you were ever a Sky Knight!"

"Say what you want," said Carver, "but the fact remains that I have the princess. If you want her spared, then you'll have to do whatever I say."

"Oh yeah?" said Finn. "You and what army?"

Carver smirked. "So glad you asked."

At that moment, six figures stepped out from the shadows that each emitted devilish laughter. Everyone shifted their eyes around to see that they were Ravess, Snipe, Hoerk, Spitz, Lugey and Domiwick. They all had their weapons out and pointed at the group with malicious intent in their eyes.

"Looksss like you lossse," said Sptiz.

"Give up while you've got the chance," added Hoerk.

Ravess pointed with an arrow in her bow. "You have no way out of here, so do the right thing and drop your weapons."

Aerrow looked around the room with anger in his eyes. He then caught a glimpse of the princess's frightened look and knew that he couldn't let anything happen to her. It was hard as a Sky Knight for him to admit it, but he had to submit to his foes. Looking down in shame, the red-haired teen deactivated his weapons and dropped them to the floor.

Everyone else frowned at what their friend was doing but also knew they had to follow, so they all willingly let go of their weapons.

"Smart move," said Carver. "Now, restrain them!"

The group then saw droplets of water form out of thin air around them. Katara could already tell this was a Waterbending move but was powerless to stop it. Everyone then grunted as the water droplets attached themselves to their bodies and immediately transformed into ice. The group grunted as they were each encased in their restraints.

Everyone then turned their heads when they heard the laughter of an elderly woman, and there they saw two more figures emerging from the darkness: one was the woman making the laughter dressed in a red robe, and the other was a man dressed in elegant green and black clothing with his long black hair tied into a braid.

"Hama!" Katara shouted in disbelief.

"Long Feng!" shouted Sokka.

"How did you two get here?" Aang said in a demanding tone.

"You have the Dark Ace to thank for that," replied Long Feng.

"Yes," added Hama. "He was so kind to bring us here just so we could see the looks on your faces when we crush you like insects."

Another voice had echoed throughout the room. "Don't forget our deal," it said.

The voice came from where the giant doors were, and there stood the Regent with a pleasant grin on his face.

Piper gasped when she saw that the man the princess trusted was behind everything. "You!" she shouted angrily. "I should've known!"

The Regent walked into the room with a smug stride. His plan had worked: Terra Klockstoppia was now back under his control, all thanks to the efforts of these strange people.

"Yeah, yeah," said Carver to the Regent. "This place is yours as long as you hand over the Storm Hawks and their friends to us."

"Do with them whatever you wish," said the Regent, "but the princess is mine." He then got into the princess's face while she still struggled in Carver's grasp. "Sorry, but these fine people made me an offer that I couldn't refuse."

"How could you?" said Perry. "I trusted you more than anyone I ever knew and this is how you repay me?"

"Be quiet! I've worked too hard to shape this kingdom into the perfect image, and I won't let anyone—especially a snot-nosed brat like _you_—take it away from me!" He turned his attention to Ravess and her followers. "Throw them into the dungeon!"

Stork shivered as the ice quickly dropped his body temperature as it made contact with his skin. "Things just can't get any worse!"

"Great," said Snipe. "The Dark Ace will be here in moments to deal with 'em."

The Merb narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I stand corrected."

Piper looked up for a moment to see the princess give a wink to her while everyone else was carried away by Hama lifting up everyone by their icy restraints. They both knew what was going to happen at this point, but they did not know if it would work.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: OMG! Now things are really turning interesting!<p>

Perry: Whoo-hoo! Another adventure for me! I hope I get out of this one.

Piper: Hey, relax. You'll get your chance to shine.

Perry: Whatever. I'm just glad to finally make an appearance.

BlueTiger321: Well, I thought you deserved it. Anyway folks, stay tuned for the next chapter because it's gonna blow your mind! So, until next time...

Piper and Perry: Read and review!


	12. Chapter 12: Jailbreak

Chapter 12: Jailbreak

BlueTiger321: Wow! So now the Storm Hawks and the Aang Gang are prisoners in Klockstoppia, and it's all because of that stupid Regent! Well, we do know that some members of the team _aren't_ in prison *wink*. So now it's time to see what will happen to everyone! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The group was now forcefully escorted down into the dungeon of the castle by Hama. The rest of her comrades had joined her to take delight in seeing their enemies finally get what they deserve after causing them so much grief in the past. It was like their dreams had become a reality and they could not wait until the Dark Ace would arrive so they would exact their ultimate vengeance and be rid of them for good.<p>

The dungeon was held in a dark and dank place made entirely out of stone with steel bars to contain the prisoners. Carver had opened up a door to allow Hama to place them into the cell one-by-one.

Laughter had filled the dungeon from the Dark Ace's team while the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group chose to remain silent; knowing that saying something would only give their captors the satisfaction they wanted.

When everyone was finally in the cell, Carver slammed the door shut and locked it. He looked through the bars and directly at Aerrow to instil fear in him. "Don't get too comfortable," he said, "because you're not gonna be around for much longer."

Hama had then changed the icy restraints around everyone back into water. Everyone lied on the floor completely drenched after the water had seeped into their clothes, leaving them all shivering from the coldness of the dungeon.

"You know," said Finn, "you could've at least given us fair warning about that."

The old woman chuckled. "Sorry. I'll make sure to do it next time... Oh, wait. There won't _be_ a next time!"

Ravess had then reached behind her back and pulled out a red crystal the size of a bowling ball. She then placed it on the ground on the other side of the dungeon and watched it glow. The light spread out and filled the entire room, forcing everyone else to cover their eyes when the light passed over them.

The light in the dungeon had then dimmed, and everyone saw that nothing new had happened. It confused the Storm Hawks why a crystal would produce no effect when it was activated. All they saw was the Dark Ace's forces continue their incessant laughter that was getting on their nerves.

Zuko stood up with rage in his eyes. "You monsters!" he shouted.

The Fire Lord got up and extended his fist with the intent of shooting a flame. To his surprise, he saw that nothing happened; not even one spark would come out. Zuko gasped in shocked to see his Firebending was not working, much like the time when he first taught Aang.

"What's going on?" said Zuko.

"Guys?" said Toph worriedly. "Where are you? I can't see anything!"

"Uh, yeah," Finn said obviously. "It's 'cause you're blind. How dumb do you think we are?"

"No, you lunkhead! I mean, I can't see anything from my Earthbending!"

Aerrow had already determined the cause. "It's the crystal!"

"Correct," said Ravess. "It's another one of the Dark Ace's creations. This crystal is used to suppress all of your abilities. As long as you're in the same room as it, you'll be powerless."

Junko stood up and cracked his knuckles, knowing full well he had his strength to back him up. "Oh yeah?" he said. "Well, I'll bet you didn't think about this!"

The Storm Hawks' strongman rushed to the bars and grabbed a pair of them standing next to each other. With a mighty pull, he tried his best to bend them open but they would not budge. Junko grunted and strained when he summoned all his strength to try again. He gave up when the steel bars would not move. The Wallop could not believe that he was as weak as a kitten after trying so hard.

Ravess and her companions all laughed at the failed attempt to escape. When it died down she said, "And when I say it suppresses all of your abilities, that includes the Wallop's strength too."

"Face it," said Snipe. "There's no way you're gettin' out of here alive!"

Aerrow scowled at his captors. The very idea that they would mock him while he was imprisoned made him sick to his stomach. Standing up, he got up next to Junko and said, "You won't get away with this! We _will_ find a way out of here and make you pay for what you've done to Perry!" His attention was then focused on Domiwick. "And I'm hardly surprised that you're mixed up in all of this. It figures that you'd do anything to save your own neck!"

"Sorry, boy," said Domiwick. "My dreams of glory are too important to be cut short."

Carver got into Aerrow's face. "How does it feel to be trapped behind bars?" he said. "Now you know what I had to go through after spending my time in prison. Well, soon it won't matter, because I will personally put you through so much anguish when I make you gasp for your last breath. And when that happens, you will know that you never had what it takes to be a Sky Knight."

"We should get outta here," said Hoerk. "The Dark Ace and Repton are coming."

"Yes," said Long Feng. "It would certainly be rude of us to keep them waiting."

The Dark Ace's forces walked towards the exit, leaving the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group in their cell with their final hopes being smashed to pieces.

As the members left, Lugey spoke up by saying, "Hey, do ya think there's enough time to grab a bite to eat?"

"Quiet, fatso!" shouted Hoerk.

The Storm Hawks and their friends were now left alone. With their own Bending abilities being suppressed by the crystal on the other side of the dungeon and their own weapons taken from them, they would have no chance of escaping on their own. And with Perry being held captive elsewhere in the castle, they could only imagine what the Regent would do to her.

Aang slumped to the floor in depression. "I can't believe this," he said. "This can't be the way it's supposed to end."

"Oh, great," said Sokka. "If that's how the Avatar feels, then we might as well call it quits."

"We can't give up," said Katara. "We've all come out of far worse situations than this." The girl then saw the gloomy faces on her friends, which made her realize what she just said. "Okay, I'll admit this is the worst. But still, we've got to find a way to get out before it's too late."

Aerrow had then reached a conclusion that somewhere out there was their only hope. His face brightened up while he looked at his cohorts. "Katara's right. They didn't capture all of us, and they'll catch on to what's going on here."

Stork blinked in surprise. "You mean Radarr, Appa and Momo?" he said. His eyes then rolled in a sarcastic manner. "Yeah, I'm sure they'll come rescue us—especially after you ditched your co-pilot to talk to the princess."

The boy Sky Knight then frowned and remembered how he treated his friend. He hoped that Radarr would come to save them all, or else they and all of Atmos would be doomed.

_Radarr_, Aerrow thought, _please be the hero I know you are_.

* * *

><p>Radarr, Appa and Momo all sat neatly near the stables. It was a small, wooden building with hay scattered everywhere to allow whatever animal was kept there a chance to eat whenever they got hungry. Right now the only one partaking of the generous offer was Appa, who graciously sucked in gaping piles of hay with his Airbending from his mouth. After chewing a few times, he swallowed and went back to eating.<p>

Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks' co-pilot walked around with a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe the situation he was in: being treated like an animal just by his appearance. What made him even more cross was that his friend, Aerrow, had promised him that he would be able to join the rest of the team in the castle, but so far there hadn't been any kind of notice that he was allowed in with the others.

Radarr had just gotten to the other side of the stables where he leaned against the wall and slumped to the ground. His look of anger had then changed to sadness as he let out a small chirp. He couldn't deny it any longer; he wanted to be with Aerrow and it was tearing him up inside. Try as he might, he could never stay mad at his friend for this long. All he wanted to do now was be with him and make up for what was said and done.

Suddenly, Radarr's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a sound he thought was too familiar. He didn't want to believe it but his ears weren't lying to him. The little guy turned his head upon hearing the clucking of hens. And there standing a few feet away from him was Wren's hen with a group of other hens.

The birds all let out excited clucks when they saw Radarr was before them, and they each looked at him with their pupils turning into hearts.

Radarr did the only thing he knew to do when being confronted by a bunch of love-struck chickens: he ran.

All across the fields the hens chased after Radarr, happily clucking all the way to be with their love. Meanwhile, Radarr chirped nervously as he ran on his hind paws away from the crazy fowl and could feel sweat pouring down his head. A quick glance behind made Radarr see the hens were being relentless in their pursuit while they still clucked and ran after him.

The furry Storm Hawk tried to think of a way to get rid of his stalkers—and that's when he remembered that he wasn't alone here. There was one of his companions who might actually make the hens want to turn around and run away. Radarr's eyebrows rose deviously while he formulated this plan.

Turning sharply to his right, Radarr ran as fast as he could in that direction with the hens still following him. There in front of the little guy was Appa still feasting on piles of hay, totally unaware of what was going on around him. When Radarr was close enough, he jumped as high as he could and landed in the saddle on Appa's back where he lied on his stomach to hide.

The hens were getting closer when they halted in their tracks before the sky bison. All of them then let out nervous clucks when they saw the huge beast stand before them. Appa had heard the clucks and turned his head around to look at the hens in a non-threatening way. Feeling scared for their lives, the hens all ran away clucking with some of their feathers flying loose.

Appa only watched the hens run off across the field and then returned to eating hay like it meant nothing to him.

As soon as he knew it was safe to come out, Radarr raised his head and saw no signs of any chickens anywhere. The little guy then let out a sigh of relief and relaxed in Appa's saddle, and that's when he noticed that Momo was in there with him.

Radarr let out a startled chirp when his cohort had unexpectedly joined him but was glad to see a friendly face. He then watched the flying lemur then let out his own chirp while he stretched out his arms and spread his wings. After which Momo curled up into a ball and lied down his head to rest.

The furry co-pilot saw Momo's wings and then suddenly had an idea hit him. With Momo's ability to fly, he could go just about anywhere. And remembering all the times he spent with his friend, Momo could be able to carry him as he flew. Radarr knew this was a perfect opportunity to head to the castle since he wasn't just going to stay out here all night. He had to be with his boy no matter what.

Momo was awakened when Radarr gently shook his body. He raised his head and saw Radarr standing there chirping to him like he was communicating.

The Sky Knight's co-pilot pointed up to the castle. He then pointed to himself and then to Momo to indicate that he would like to go there and that Momo should take him. Radarr was done, and he hoped that his message got through to his friend.

It didn't take long for Momo to figure out what Radarr was asking of him, so he got up, extended his wings and flew up a few feet above his cohort.

Radarr chirped happily when he saw that Momo was doing his favour. He instantly grabbed onto Momo's hind paws, and the flying lemur flapped as hard as he could to take off into the sky towards the castle.

Appa, meanwhile, didn't pay any heed to what his two little friends were doing, and so he finally rested his head down and drifted off to sleep when he was finished eating.

Back in the sky, Radarr looked on with a brightened expression when he would finally get to see Aerrow again. He knew that his boy would be pleasantly surprised to see him drop in unexpected, but it would be all the more reason to reunite and forget about what they did earlier. For now he enjoyed the experience of flying while the cool night air whisked over his face and ruffled his fur.

Momo, on the other hand, wasn't having a good time as he strained and chirped in a high pitch to lift Radarr's weight and fly at the same time. He never had to keep his furry companion up in the air for so long before and now it was taking its toll on his body.

Radarr could see that he and Momo were getting closer to the castle, and there was the walkway up on the top. He could see it now: being with Aerrow again was going to be glorious. But just when he thought everything was going well, Radarr noticed that he was getting lower as he got nearer to the wall. A worried look formed on his face when he came to this insight. His eyes glanced upward to see Momo was trying his best to keep him aloft but it wasn't enough.

Fearing the worst-case scenario, Radarr looked ahead and saw that he was about to hit the wall. A terrified chirp escaped his mouth in the split second before he collided with the stone surface.

Momo grunted as he felt Radarr made a firmer grasp on his paws, so he flapped harder while he unknowingly dragged his friend up the side of the wall. When he could no longer feel Radarr's weight pulling him down, he landed on the walkway with Radarr soon letting go and landing next to him.

Pain wracked Radarr's body as he sat up with his eyeballs spinning in their sockets and stars spinning around his head. It was definitely one thing he never wanted to try again. He soon shook off his dizziness and looked around for a way off the walkway.

Just then, the sounds of footsteps could be heard in the distance and Radarr felt his fur stand on its end. The fear of getting caught and being put back in the stable soon filled his mind, and he could not let that happen.

Radarr looked directly at Momo and chirped to him what was about to happen. When he was done, the only response he got was Momo blinking his eyes and chirping innocently to him. He then slapped his paw over his face when he saw this wasn't getting him anywhere, and so he grabbed a hold of Momo's paw and both of them ran across the walkway.

The furry co-pilot looked desperately for somewhere to hide. Anything would do for him, just as long as it was away from whoever was coming. Scanning the area, Radarr then spotted a ladder going down into the castle. He took Momo with him and together they leapt off the edge and landed on scaffolding just a few feet under the ledge.

When he was sure they would be safe, Radarr held his back against the wall while Momo looked around nonchalantly without having any idea about the current circumstances. Radarr secretly prayed to himself that he and Momo would not be found and that his cohort wouldn't do anything to give away their location. He breathed slowly and listened intently for the footsteps to walk by him.

The ones making the footsteps were getting closer, and Radarr shut his eyes when he feared that they had been found. Instead, all he heard was the steps suddenly coming to a stop and laughter filling his ears. Opening his eyes and looking up, Radarr set his eyes wide and let his mouth hang open when he saw Carver and Domiwick standing a few feet above him. The two men were too busy chatting amongst themselves to pay attention to who was underneath them.

Radarr instantly felt rage fill up inside him. Seeing these two despicable men here in the castle made him want to lash out with all his might, but he knew that he would never be able to take them both down—especially since he wasn't with his friends. Instead, he stayed quiet and listened in on their conversation.

Momo, meanwhile, arched his back and hissed when he recognized Domiwick as the man who captured him. It was then that Radarr clasped his paw over Momo's mouth to keep him quiet so they wouldn't be detected.

"You know," said Carver, "I almost feel sorry for those poor saps, trapping them so easily. Right now I just wanna deal with Aerrow and put my desire to rest."

"You'll get your chance," said Domiwick. "The Dark Ace wouldn't just leave you high and dry like this, not after all the promises he made."

"So what'll you do once this whole thing is done?"

"Me? I'm hoping I get a chance to see that world those other kids come from. I'm sure that's a discovery that will make me the greatest explorer in Atmos."

Carver mocked the idea. "Yeah, like you'll ever get a chance."

"Hey!" Domiwick protested. "I'm just as much a part of this team as anyone else, so I should get my own reward just like the rest of you."

"Why don't you find out from the Storm Hawks where they got their loser friends?" said Carver. "Maybe they'll be kind enough to divulge their secrets on how they brought them here."

Domiwick growled in fury at the former Sky Knight mocking his goal. He walked away with him while he said, "I doubt the Storm Hawks are going to say anything to me. Besides, the Raptors have the dungeon under tight security and they won't even let me in there, not until the Dark Ace and Repton arrive."

"Well, I guess that shows you that you're not really one of us if you can't be trusted."

"Oh, shut up!"

Radarr saw the two men had left the walkway, and that's when he realized the real reason why his friends never came to see him. He let go of Momo and paced back and forth worriedly. If his friends were captured then he would only have a short amount of time until they would be handed over to the Dark Ace's clutches.

All of Radarr's worries soon faded while he showed a stern look. It was his job to rescue the others, but he knew he would need some help. The little guy looked down at Momo and chirped to him what they were going to do.

Momo chirped back in response, understanding the predicament that their friends were in. With that, he watched Radarr climb down the scaffolding where he soon followed so they could find the others.

* * *

><p>Inside Princess Peregrine's room, the Regent had paced around it with the girl as his prisoner. The man took pleasure in this moment and savoured it for as long as it would last. As he walked around the room, he contemplated about what his first act as the new self-appointed ruler of Klockstoppia should be and how he was going to get rid of the princess once and for all.<p>

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the girl struggling in her chair with her vanity mirror placed behind her. Her wrists had been tied behind the chair to keep her from escaping, and every attempt was futile for her and only caused her more discomfort.

The Regent took this moment to stare into her eyes and mock her for everything he had accomplished. "Well, I'm sure that you must think of this as adding insult to injury," he said. "I take away your birthright and assume the throne myself. You know, you brought this on yourself. If I hadn't been stuck babysitting such a foolish teenager then I wouldn't have had to do this."

The princess stopped her struggling and looked up at the man. "Why?" she said. "Why would you betray me like this?"

Turning away, the Regent answered her question. "Oh, I can certainly think of many reasons. The biggest one is because I have ruled in your stead for so long that I've grown quite attached to the political power. It's just something I've enjoyed for so long that I wanted to feel it again. All those years of having people bend to my will were so... exhilarating! But to watch everything I've worked so hard to achieve crumble to nothing the instant that you assumed control was too much for me to handle. Well, now I can have that feeling again—and this time no one is going to take it away from me."

Perry narrowed her eyes in anger the moment she heard the reason. "And what would you do with all that power?" she said. "Would you keep all of Klockstoppia in the dark about what's really going on, or would you help them to stop the impending threat? The people who've helped you certainly won't make deals with anyone. Sooner or later, they will take over this kingdom in the blink of an eye and you'll go back to being a servant. If you were a true ruler, you'd put the interests of the people ahead of your own selfish desires!"

The man turned around after hearing the statement from Perry. After taking in a quiet breath through his nose, he narrowed his eyes angrily, raised his right hand, and slapped the girl on her cheek, leaving a bright red bruise where he struck her.

Perry grunted in pain as she felt the sting across her face, and she stood still as her former advisor got close to her face.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," said the Regent, "and I don't need a stupid girl to tell me how I should govern a kingdom!"

The girl said nothing to the man when he walked away from her, and she instantly spotted a vase with a single flower on the vanity mirror's desk. A plan was already forming in her head about how to get out of here and teach a lesson to the people who invaded Klockstoppia.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Radarr and Momo had managed to sneak their way into the castle. All was going well for them since they hadn't encountered any of the Dark Ace's forces so far, but Radarr still crouched low to the floor with Momo following close behind him.<p>

Radarr was not familiar with the castle's layout but he did know that he would be able to find his friends after hearing the conversation between Domiwick and Carver. All he had to do was look for the Raptors.

Sneaking across a wall, the furry co-pilot slowly approached a doorway with light coming from the other side. He carefully took a peek through it to make sure it was safe. What Radarr saw inside set his eyes wide in surprise. Lugey, Spitz and Hoerk were inside the room with the castle's guards knocked unconscious, and the Raptors were guarding a separate doorway that led to a staircase. Radarr figured that down there his friends were being held captive.

Repton's brothers all stood with attentiveness to fulfill their duty of protecting the dungeon so that no one would dare to set the Storm Hawks free or to prevent their own escape. Still, it was a boring task for them, so Hoerk was busily picking something out of his teeth, Spitz dug some wax out of his ear, and Lugey stuck one of his claws in one of his nostrils.

Radarr narrowed his eyes in determination. Somehow, he thought, there had to be a way to sneak by them. His eyes then chanced upon an open window on the opposite end of the room right next to the staircase. An idea had already come to him, and he knew that Momo was going to help. He turned to his cohort and chirped his plan to the flying lemur.

Momo immediately understood the plan, and so he flew upward and allowed Radarr to once again grab onto his hind paws.

The duo then flew up to the window adjacent to them and headed outside the castle to find the window they hoped would lead to the room with the Raptors. Radarr did a quick check around the wall to find the window, taking every detail of what was in each room. Suddenly, he chirped when he saw Hoerk in front of his brothers. He narrowed his eyes and chirped the direction that Momo should fly.

When the request was given, Radarr and Momo landed on the windowsill just out of the Raptors' line of sight. The co-pilot tried thinking of a way to distract them—and that's when he felt something under his hind paw. Radarr looked down and saw a couple of loose pebbles on the windowsill, and he set his face into a smirk.

Picking up one of the pebbles, Radarr momentarily got out of cover and threw the pebble at Hoerk before going back into cover.

"Ow!" shouted Hoerk. The Raptor rubbed his head and wondered what struck him. Figuring it came in that direction, Hoerk turned to his right and saw Spitz standing there like he did nothing. Rage soon took hold of the Raptor. "Why'd you hit me, pipsqueak!"

Spitz was taken aback by the accusation. "I didn't do anythhhing!"

"Don't deny it! Who else coulda done it?"

"I don't know, but it wasssn't me!"

"You callin' me a liar?"

Another pebble then struck Hoerk's head, making him shout in pain. Rubbing his head, he turned around and saw Lugey also stand there like he did nothing. Now Hoerk was furious.

Shoving his portly brother, Hoerk said, "Don't hit me, you nimrod!"

"Huh?" Lugey said in confusion. "What did I do?"

"Oh, so you're playin' innocent too, huh?" Hoerk then cracked his knuckles and was now going to teach his brothers a lesson.

Lugey and Spitz both yelped when Hoerk grabbed onto them and threw them to the floor. All three of the Raptors had then rolled on the floor as they were now engaged in a fight that led them away from the staircase.

Radarr saw that this was his chance, so he chirped to Momo and the two of them jumped into the room while the Raptors were distracted. Immediately they both ran down the staircase and headed for the dungeon.

Once the duo got to the bottom, they searched the area for their friends. Radarr let out a series of chirps just to let them know that he was here. Right afterwards, he could hear the voice of his boy.

"Radarr?" said Aerrow. "Radarr, we're over here!"

Radarr's face brightened up when he heard the voice. He quickly ran over to where he heard it with Momo following right behind him. The two of them looked into the cell and chirped with joy when they had finally found their friends, who all shouted with praise.

"Radarr! I knew you'd come for us!" said Aerrow.

"All right!" said Finn.

"Yes!" said Junko.

"Just in the nick of time," said Starling.

Aerrow knew that the reunion would have to wait; they had to bust out of here and rescue the princess. "Radarr," he said, "you've gotta get rid of that crystal. As long as it's still here, we can't use our Bending."

The little guy churred when he turned his head and saw the red crystal standing in front of the wall opposite to the cells. He tried to figure out a way to destroy it so that his friends could get themselves out.

All of a sudden, footsteps echoed throughout the dungeon and everyone in the cell turned their heads and gasped when they saw who was making them. They were still trapped, so there was nothing they could do but warn their friends of the impending menace.

"Radarr, look out!" shouted Katara.

The co-pilot immediately turned around and let out a terrified chirp as Snipe jumped up shouting a battle cry with his mace held high. Radarr leapt away just in time as the burly man crashed his weapon onto the floor and made a large crack where Radarr once stood.

Snipe stood up after his furious assault. He saw this as a game that he knew he was going to win since two animals were no match for someone like him.

"Radarr, Momo, be careful!" said Aerrow.

"Leave them alone, you creep!" Aang shouted angrily.

"Oh?" said Snipe. "And what are you gonna do to stop me? I'm gonna enjoy turning your little pets into mush!"

Now Radarr and Momo were running for their lives as Snipe was wildly flinging his mace around and causing more damage around the dungeon. Seeing his prey run for their lives was so joyous for him that he almost didn't want it to end.

Meanwhile, Junko couldn't watch his friends suffering like that. He tried once more to get the bars to bend. Struggling and pulling with all his might, the Wallop could not move them. But he still would not give up until they were free.

Snipe had eventually cornered Radarr and Momo. The co-pilot shook with fear as he thought this might be the end for him and his companion. It felt so depressing for him since he came so close to freeing his friends, and now he thought his efforts would be in vain.

The burly man lifted his mace high, laughed maniacally and said, "Bye bye!"

"No!" shouted Aerrow.

Radarr closed his eyes and lowered his head as he waited for the embrace of death.

Just then, Momo hissed and jumped onto Snipe's face, making him stagger back in confusion as the flying lemur continually attacked him.

"Get off me!" shouted Snipe.

Radarr had opened his eyes to see that he was safe from harm and watched Momo bravely take on Snipe by himself. From his point of view, he saw that Snipe had dropped his mace during the struggle. Radarr chirped happily as he would now have a way to destroy the crystal.

Snipe was still trying to get Momo away from him, but he still staggered around until his back was against the wall. Once he regained his bearings, he grabbed Momo off his face and threw him to the floor. He looked back for where Radarr was standing but saw the corner was empty. "Where'd he go?" Snipe said in confusion.

A chirp filled the man's ears and he turned around to see Radarr holding up his mace and standing next to the crystal.

"No!" shouted Snipe as he ran towards Radarr.

It was too late; Radarr had quickly lowered the mace and smashed the crystal to pieces. The energy that once filled the dungeon had now faded out of existence.

Snipe paused where he was once he saw the crystal was destroyed, and then he heard the sound of metal bending. "Uh oh!" he said in a worried tone.

Aerrow had then jumped out of the cell once he was free. Looking sternly at Snipe, the boy Sky Knight lifted his hand and raised a column of earth that struck Snipe in the stomach and sent him screaming to the ceiling.

The burly man was knocked unconscious upon hitting the ceiling, and then he fell to the floor when the column of earth was lowered.

Everyone else joined Aerrow upon exiting the cell. The battle between the Sky Knight and the man was over, so they all faced Radarr and Momo and showered them with praise for coming to set them free.

"Nice job, Radarr! You too, Momo!" said Aerrow.

"You really came through for us," said Katara.

Starling got everyone's attention with a wave of her hand. "I hate to interrupt this celebration, but we've got bigger things to worry about."

"You're right," said Aerrow. "We've gotta save Perry!"

"We better hurry," said Piper. "She could be in serious danger."

Everyone nodded and rushed out of the dungeon. They had no idea what was in store for them when they would reach the princess, but they knew they would face it together—and that was what gave them the assurance to see it done.

Not long after everyone had left, Snipe sat up and groaned while rubbing his throbbing chest. He looked up at the staircase and growled to himself, thinking that he was not going to take this lightly.

"You think it's over?" he said. "Well, you've got another thing comin'!"

Snipe was about to stand up when a loose rock fell from the ceiling and landed right on top of his head. The man groaned as he saw stars and fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Hah, hah! This was an interesting chapter, wasn't it?<p>

Radarr and Momo: *chirp with excitement*

BlueTiger321: Sorry, you guys, but even I can't understand you.

Radarr: *growls in frustration*

BlueTiger321: Anyway folks, it's not over yet, so stay tuned for the next exciting chapter, which will _really_ blow your mind! Until next time...

Radarr: *chirps*

BlueTiger321: Uh, I think he said "Read and review!"

Radarr: *nods*


	13. Chapter 13: Revolution

Chapter 13: Revolution

BlueTiger321: All right! After a little game of Metal Gear Radarr, it's time for our heroes to give the bad guys the boot. And one character will have a revelation. I'm sure that what will happen is going to leave you guessing. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The group entered into a new room once they escaped from the dungeon. They were glad to be out in the open once again after being trapped in a small cell that was dank and depressing. But now they had a much bigger task awaiting them—they had to rescue Princess Peregrine and liberate Terra Klockstoppia from the Regent.<p>

What everyone saw as soon as they entered almost made them feel sorry for the ones in the room. There sprawled out on the floor were Lugey, Spitz and Hoerk all covered with bruises and groaning from sheer agony while they rolled around not paying any attention to the escapees. Judging from how badly they were injured, everyone figured that something terrible must have happen to the Raptors that made them this way—and whoever did it certainly had the strength to back it up.

No one seemed to notice Radarr pop his head out behind Aerrow's leg when he saw the three lizard-humanoids all beaten and bruised. A slight smirk formed on his face at the mischief he had created. The best thing, to him, was that if his friends figured out that he instigated the Raptors' brawl in order to save them, then they would be presently surprised. For now, he decided to let them focus on the goal of saving the princess.

"Wow," said Sokka. "It looks like these guys really took a pounding."

"Do you think Snipe did it before coming down to the dungeon?" asked Aang.

"Why would he attack his own comrades?" said Starling.

The Avatar scratched his head as he thought of a logical explanation. "I don't know. Maybe he couldn't take any more waiting and decided to deal with us while we were vulnerable. But Repton's brothers tried to stop him, and so Snipe took them out."

"That's possible," said Stork. "Snipe never was one for solving a problem with words."

The conversation made Radarr grumble in response; hearing it suddenly took out all the fun of being the unknown hero.

"Whatever the reason," said Aerrow, "we don't have time to take pity on them. Right now we've gotta search all over the castle and find Perry."

"Where do you think she's being held?" said Junko.

"My guess would be in her room." Aerrow ran out of the room while the others followed.

As soon as everyone crossed the doorway, they all stopped while the boy Sky Knight looked up and down the halls. Now, Aerrow's friends were all wondering if he really knew where he was going since he halted so abruptly.

"Uh, why are we stopping?" said Finn.

Toph crossed her arms over her chest with a sly grin on her face. "I'm betting that our fearless leader doesn't have a clue where to find Perry."

Aerrow was embarrassed to admit it but he turned to his friends with a sheepish smile on his face. "It's true. I've never actually seen where Perry's room is."

"Then how are we supposed to find her?" said Katara.

Piper got up past Aerrow, her eyes casting a sense of leadership. She was going to reveal to the others what she knew. Pointing down the hall to the left she said, "It's this way."

Everyone was left confused by their friend's sudden guidance, but then they remembered that Piper had been here before so it would only be common sense that she would know the layout of the castle.

But Aerrow felt more suspicious by Piper's recent behaviour. There were just some things she did that did not add up and it didn't seem like Piper at all. To test his uncertainties, he got behind the girl and looked at her right arm. There he set his eyes wide when he saw a darkened spot on her skin just above the cuff of her glove. Aerrow remembered during that time when the girl told him that that was a royal birthmark.

"Wait a second," said the red-haired teen. "Perry?"

The princess knew that her secret had been revealed, so she turned to the others while laughing awkwardly. "Yes, it's me."

All the others stood wide-eyed. Their venture to find the princess had been for naught as she had been with them the whole time; now they were all wondering why this event occurred.

"I don't get it," said Finn. "Perry is here..."

"And so that means Piper is being held captive by the Regent!" said Aerrow.

"Okay, now I'm _really_ confused!" said Sokka. "So the girl we thought was Piper is actually Perry, and the girl we thought was Perry is actually Piper?"

Katara rolled her eyes in embarrassment over her brother's conclusion, feeling it was unnecessary after hearing Aerrow's explanation. "Yeah, that about sums it up... again"

"Why did you do it?" Starling asked Perry.

The princess took in a deep breath and then told everyone her explanation. "Well, you see, Piper suspected that the Regent was up to something, and so she came up with a plan for the two of us to switch places; that way she figured I would be safe with you guys. We couldn't tell you because we didn't want our cover to be blown."

"I actually knew," revealed Toph.

Junko was now more confused by the blind girl's statement. "How did you know?"

"I have this way of detecting lies through my Earthbending. When Piper and Perry were speaking at the time we were captured, I could feel they were lying—and that's when I figured it out. I also knew not to just blurt it out for their safety. Plus, I was hoping how long it would take you guys to find out for yourselves."

"Well, now we do know," said Aang. "Now we better save Piper before it's too late."

The others all ran down the hallway that Perry indicated. It was now a race against time while the Dark Ace was approaching Klockstoppia to unleash his diabolical scheme.

As the group ran, Aerrow said, "I'm not too worried. If I know Piper, there's nothing she can't handle."

* * *

><p>Back in Perry's room, the Regent was continuing his triumphant accession. The only thing left to do was to deal with the girl he thought was the princess. What he didn't notice was the small bit of water in the vase being risen out and coming towards Piper. The girl was now busily focusing her Waterbending to remove her restraints and finally deal with the arrogant man.<p>

"It won't be long now," said the Regent. "Your so-called saviours will be gone for good, and I will finally have gotten rid of you, Princess. My ascension into the throne will be secured."

The girl only gave a smirk to the man and said, "Yes, but there's just one tiny flaw in your plan."

Hearing the statement, the Regent turned around with a questioning look on his face. He thought that this girl had made him think she had finally gone insane. Still, he felt compelled to ask what made her think about the so-called flaw. "Oh? And what, pray tell, is that?" he said.

Piper looked into the man's eyes and said, "I'm not the princess!"

The ropes binding Piper's hands were finally cut from the water and she stood up in a Waterbending pose. The Regent saw this and knew that Princess Peregrine was not capable of any sort of feat like this, and so he decided to call for help. But before he could utter so much as a cry, Piper flung the water at his mouth and sealed it when she changed it to ice. The Regent stumbled around trying to get the ice off when Piper brought out a water crystal and bent the water out to hit the man in the chest, sending him straight into the wall where he was pinned by the attack and trapped when the girl had changed it into ice.

Piper smiled at what she accomplished. "Sorry," she said, "but it looks like your overthrow has been foiled!" She then ran out of the room to find her friends, leaving the Regent trapped under the ice and grumbling to get someone's attention.

* * *

><p>Aerrow and the others ran down the hallway of the castle to rescue Piper. Their recent discovery about the princess and the crystal mage trading places before they were captured by the Dark Ace's forces made them more wary about what the intruders would do if they found out as well. This knowledge gave each of them an adrenaline rush that increased their speed.<p>

"Perry," said Aerrow, "how much farther 'til we reach your room?"

"Not much farther," replied the princess. "It's just past the throne room and up the tower."

Everyone passed by the throne room with the large doors closed. Suddenly, Finn stopped in his tracks when he remembered that was the room where he and the others were forced to drop their weapons in order to keep Piper from harm. "Guys!" he called.

The others all stopped when they heard the cry and turned to see the sharpshooter about to open the doors.

"Finn!" said Aerrow. "What are you doing? We have to go help Piper!"

"Just a second," said Finn. "I just have to run in real quick and grab my crossbow."

"There's no time for that," said Aang. "Piper could be in danger."

Finn put his arms on his hips in retort. "And what good will I be if I don't have my weapon? I can't do Bending like you guys can, so what else do you expect me to do?"

Sokka then stepped forth to add his own comment. "You know," he said, "I also wouldn't mind going in there and grabbing my sword."

The boy Sky Knight knew that his friends made a solid point. Unlike all the others, Finn and Sokka would be useless in a fight if they didn't have their weapons. "Okay," he said. "But make it quick."

Finn and Sokka both nodded and went over to the giant doors. They gently opened them and scanned the floor where they were captured. Right next to the red carpet was the pile of weapons that everyone dropped, and the two were lucky enough to find that their enemies hadn't bothered yet to dispose of them. They both walked into the room and immediately ran over to the spot.

"Sweet!" said Finn, holding up his crossbow.

Sokka grabbed his sword with glee and placed it on his belt. But then, something out of the corner of his eye was approaching him at a high speed. He turned around and felt panic rise within him to see the object. "Duck!" he shouted.

The blonde sharpshooter looked in front and screamed to see something flying right towards him and then ducked down at the last second. Finn watched the boomerang barely graze over him and then returned to its wielder.

Aerrow and the others all heard Finn's girly scream and came running into the room. All of them set their faces into angry scowls when they saw Finn and Sokka were facing off against Repton, Ravess, Long Feng, Carver, Domiwick and Hama.

"You were lucky enough to escape from prison," said Carver, "but this is where your luck runs out. Prepare to meet your doom!"

Everyone growled when they were face-to-face with their enemies. They all got into their Bending stances just as the giant doors opened once more. Snipe and Repton's brothers had joined the fray with their weapons drawn and leaving the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group with no way out.

"This looks bad," said Katara.

"Yeah," said Aerrow. "But where's the Dark Ace?"

* * *

><p>The Regent continued to struggle under the ice created by Piper that kept him stuck to the wall in Perry's room. He couldn't believe that he had fallen for such an obvious trick. His arrogance had clouded his judgment and made him forget to check if the girl he had captured was actually the princess or not. All he wanted to do was get out of here and unleash his fury on the girls for deceiving him.<p>

At that moment, someone had come into the room through the balcony. The Regent watched the mysterious man with fear in his eyes, not knowing who he was or why he had come here. All he could do was wait to see what the stranger would do to him in his defenceless state.

The Dark Ace looked around the room, feeling like it was an appropriate place to enter while he let Repton land his Bone Wing and find the others. From his point of view, he thought that the princess was obviously very outlandish by the way her room was decorated and not like anything he heard from his followers. "Hmm," he said. "I don't see how a mere girl was fit to rule a kingdom. This terra must've been really desperate for someone to assume control."

Grunting then filled the Dark Ace's ears, and he turned his head to find the Regent trapped to the wall with ice around his body and mouth. With a wave of his hand, he easily cracked the ice and let it crumble to pieces around the Regent, who knelt to the floor and breathed heavily from his mouth once he was freed.

After he recovered, the Regent fixated his eyes on his liberator. "Well," he said, "judging from your power, I think it's safe to assume that you are the Dark Ace."

"You assumed correctly," replied the former Talon. "Now, if I may ask, what happened to you?"

The Regent gritted his teeth and grumbled. "The princess and the girl who looks exactly like her switched places without me ever knowing. Just when I thought I had her, she used some strange power that got me stuck here! Then, she took off!"

"Well, she won't get far. My cohorts will make sure of that. In the meantime, I say we should join the fray."

"What?" the Regent said bewilderedly. "You expect _me_ to do battle?"

"If you want this kingdom so badly, then maybe you should claim it as your own instead of cowering in fear!" The Dark Ace walked out of the room and down the stairs to find his companions and do away with the Storm Hawks, leaving the Regent alone.

A feeling of apprehension took hold of the treacherous man while he contemplated on what he should do after hearing the Dark Ace's comment. He knew that he did not have the build or the skills to fight and he knew that he could not rely on the castle's guards since they were loyal to the princess and they had been taken out when the Dark Ace's forces invaded. But then he figured that if he was ever going to become a successful ruler, then he would have to face his problems without any assistance.

"Wait for me!" the Regent said upon exiting the room.

* * *

><p>Back in the throne room, Carver smirked and initiated the battle by pointing his dagger and firing a red crystal pulse at Aerrow. The boy Sky Knight had already anticipated this move, so he raised his hand and brought up a wall of earth to defend himself. A small explosion occurred when the pulse collided with the wall and shattered it into smaller chunks. Aerrow also had to be careful since the Earthbending move had created a hole in the floor, so he would have to use those techniques sparingly.<p>

"You've learned some new moves," said Carver. "Pointless, but at least it'll make this fight more interesting."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet!" said Aerrow, and then flung the pieces of earth at his foes with his fists and feet.

It was now Long Feng's turn, and he raised his hands to block the incoming attacks with his own wall of earth. Loud bangs could be heard throughout the room as the earth slabs hit the wall and only caused minor dents. Long Feng was somewhat amused by the boy's display of Earthbending, but it only failed in comparison to his own.

Suddenly, the wall raised to defend the Dark Ace's forces was being broken down by incoming crossbow bolts. Finn had regained his weapon, as had everyone else, when their adversaries were too busy defending themselves from Aerrow's attack.

"Chica-cha!" Finn said while showing his trademark trigger fingers.

Now everyone was involved in the battle: Aerrow brought out his ignited daggers and clashed against Carver; Finn fired off what shots he could against Ravess, who easily tore through the bolts with her bow while Finn dodged cowardly; Junko brought up stones to Earthbend against Snipe, who swatted each of them away with his mace; Aang and Sokka dealt with Lugey, Spitz and Hoerk with their combination of Airbending and sword skills; Toph tried to Earthbend stalagmites against Long Feng, who countered each move by quickly punching through each attack with his own Earthbending; Zuko and Starling both combined their Firebending against Repton while the Raptor leader slashed his way through with his boomerang; and Katara brought out water from her carrier that she fashioned into a Water Whip while Hama brought water from the air that she formed onto her fingers and transformed into icy claws.

Perry was all by herself in the battle, knowing that she had very little skills that she could use to defend herself. Still, she brought out Piper's staff and extended it just as Domiwick slowly came upon her with his sabre ignited. The princess uttered a cry in panic when she saw the man and thought that he would do harm to her.

"Sorry," said the man. "You understand, don't you? It's nothing personal."

Domiwick raised his weapon over his head and was about to slash down when Perry brought up the butt of the staff while closing her eyes and hoped it would do something to protect her. She unknowingly pressed a switch, which fired a blue crystal pulse from the staff and hit Domiwick in the chest, sending him screaming across the room and onto the floor.

When Perry felt that she was not in pain, she opened her eyes to see that the man who was about to attack her was knocked away and groaning from an assault. Figuring that she had somehow done it, the girl put the staff on the floor and smiled proudly to herself. "Way to go, Perry!" she said.

Meanwhile, Repton continued slashing away with his weapon and Starling blocked each attack with her nunchucks. The Raptor leader was glad that the Interceptor was here so he could finally finish off the last of the Sky Knight squadron and lay claim to what he should have done a long time ago. Repton brought his boomerang down just as Starling blocked it with the cable of her nunchucks. She could feel his strength pressing down on him as she tried her best to push back.

Zuko saw that Starling was in danger, so he jumped in the air with the intention of shooting out a jet of flame. But Repton eyed the Fire Lord and intercepted with his tail. Zuko was helpless against the attack, and so he was slapped across the face and yelled in agony as he hit the floor.

Starling narrowed angrily at Repton for having hurt her friend. "You'll pay for that!" she said.

"Oh, don't worry," said Repton. "You're in for far much worse than what I did to him."

Zuko stood up after the attack he suffered from Repton. Realizing that Starling was still in trouble, he had to think of a way to help her. Figuring that the Raptor leader would be distracted, the Fire Lord had to think of something he would never expect—and that's when he remembered the teachings from his uncle. Zuko stopped for a moment and concentrated hard; he had to achieve peace of mind. Then, he focused on his positive and negative energies. A deep breath came in through his nostrils and then came out while he made the attempt to separate those energies and bring them back together.

Sparks then formed between Zuko's fingers while he moved his hands in a circular motion. The sparks continued until a bolt of lightning had formed in front of him. Zuko opened his eyes and saw Starling was now taking the offensive against the Raptor leader.

As soon as Zuko knew he was ready, he shouted, "Hey, Repton!"

The two adversaries stopped battling when they heard the call, and Starling merely smirked while she saw Repton's clueless face. Zuko then shot out his hand and yelled as he directed the lightning bolt at his target. Repton thought fast and held up his boomerang to defend himself but it did little to protect him as he screamed in pain when the lightning bolt electrocuted his body and sent him rolling along the floor until he hit the wall.

"Good thinking, Zuko," said Starling.

The Fire Lord smiled at his friend while rubbing the back of his head. He had finally done it; he attained the most advanced Firebending technique. Now he could gladly call himself a master Firebender.

(A/N: I always felt that Zuko should be able to bend lightning, so please don't say anything about making him out of character.)

Elsewhere in the room, Aerrow was still clashing blades with Carver. Red and blue sparks flew as the crystal energies collided with each other. The red-haired teen was now going to make sure that the former Red Eagle would pay for every bit of deceit he had done to Atmos, and joining forces with the Dark Ace was something that he felt Carver would do.

Carver then slashed at Aerrow's feet while the boy jumped away and landed a few feet in front of him. Then with a smirk, he brought down his dagger and sent a line of crystal energy directly towards Aerrow. The Sky Knight tried to dodge but was too late as the attack was too fast for him, so he was knocked away by the blast and dropped his daggers.

Aerrow was about to get up when Carver already brought his foot down onto his chest, forcing him to stay on the floor. All he could do was try to struggle against it but Carver's strength was far greater than his. And with the others preoccupied with their own problems in the fight, they would not be able to aid him.

A short chuckle came out of Carver's mouth. "You should've been better prepared," he said. "But it doesn't matter, because I'm far superior to you in every way."

The Sky Knight narrowed his green eyes in rage, but then it turned to fear when he saw Carver raise his blade to deliver the final blow. Aerrow closed his eyes and expected the worst thing to happen.

"Titan's Might!" said another voice.

A beam of green light then engulfed Aerrow, making him open his eyes at the power he now wielded. Carver froze in shock and awe at this new development since he had never seen anything like this before in his entire life.

"Who's superior now?" Aerrow said in a smirk.

The boy Sky Knight then grabbed Carver's leg with his new strength and easily flung him to the side. Carver was sent away screaming before colliding with the wall with enough force to send cracks along its surface. After the brutal collision, Carver slid down the wall to show an imprint of his body and slumped to the floor.

Aerrow stood up with the green aura still enveloping his body, and he looked at the entrance to see Piper there with her Binding crystals. "Am I glad you decided to show up," he said.

Piper smirked. "You didn't think I'd miss out on this, did you?"

Now that Aerrow felt as strong as fifty Wallops, he decided he could take on the rest of the Dark Ace's forces with ease. A thought then occurred to him as he wondered if this strength would apply to all his abilities. He decided now was a good a time as any to test it. "Everyone, get down!" he shouted.

All of Aerrow's friends complied with him, though not entirely sure what he meant by it. When the red-haired teen saw that all his friends were safe, he spread out his arms and unleashed a wave of air that blew through the entire room and knocked away everyone who was standing. The force of the air was so strong that it almost knocked Aerrow off his feet, but he managed to keep his stance while he performed his Airbending.

Aang was truly amazed by the feat. "Wow!" he said. "I don't think I've ever seen Airbending that strong before."

The aura faded from the Sky Knight, returning him to normal. "I have to admit, that even kind of freaked me out a little."

"Well," said Piper, "now we know that Binding and Bending should only be used together as a last resort."

"Hey," said Finn. "Why don't you call it 'Bindbending'?"

The silly name for Bending made Stork shake his head in embarrassment. "I really don't think that's going to catch on," he said.

Everyone now enjoyed the solace as they had defeated the Dark Ace's forces. Their moment didn't last long when the doors were suddenly blasted open to reveal the Dark Ace himself standing there with a wide grin on his face.

"You won't stop us this time!" said Aerrow.

"Oh, I beg to differ," said the man.

The Dark Ace then followed Aerrow's example and unleashed a wave of red energy that knocked everyone away. The group uttered a large cry of pain when the energy passed through their bodies and sent them to the floor.

Ravess stood up along with her comrades. She dusted herself off and faced the Dark Ace. "It's about time you showed up," she said.

"Sorry," said Dark Ace, "but I was busy dealing with some baggage." He then pointed his thumb over to the ruined doorway to show the Regent coming in to survey the aftermath of the battle.

A gasp came to the Regent's mouth when he saw that his soon-to-be throne room was in shambles. "Gadzooks!" he said. "Look what you've done to my castle!"

"Silence, you old fool!" said the Dark Ace. "Whoever said that you would rule over this terra, anyway?"

"I believe it was one of your followers. Plus, as I recall, you gave me some encouraging words about being a true ruler."

The Dark Ace heard the response, and he couldn't help but cry out in wicked laughter. The Regent couldn't understand what was so funny and why it involved him.

"You, leader?" said Dark Ace. "Oh, I am afraid that you have been misinformed. You see, I never had any intention of making you leader of anything—especially this pathetic excuse for a kingdom. When our reign over Atmos is secure, you are the one who will bow down to us."

The Regent stood wide-eyed in shock. It seemed to him that the girl was right in warning him against these forces: he was nothing but a pawn the whole time. He could not believe that he had gone through everything just to be denied what he deeply desired.

"What is our next task?" said Long Feng.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied the Dark Ace. "Now that we've got our enemies right where we want them, it's time to finish them off."

Carver smiled at the idea. "Oh, I'm _so_ gonna enjoy this."

"Our justice is finally at hand," said Hama.

Maniacal laughter escaped the mouths of the evil forces as they slowly approached their unconscious enemies. Their vengeance was now going to be as sweet as a fresh strawberry, so they all wanted to savour the moment. Everyone got their weapons ready or got into a Bending stance while they each stood over the person they wanted to finish off the most.

The Dark Ace then faced Aerrow and allowed Carver to give him the satisfaction as was part of their deal. The former Red Eagle ignited his dagger and laughed while he raised it high with the tip pointing downward.

"Goodbye, Aerrow!" said Carver.

Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing when they saw out of the corner of their eyes Aang floating mysteriously in the air. They were all left clueless at what the boy was doing, thinking that it was something bad.

The Avatar then opened his eyes to reveal them glowing with white light as did the arrow tattoos on his forehead and arms. Gusts of air began to swirl around his body that soon expanded the room and made everyone try to keep their balance. Aang had crossed over into the Avatar State, and now he was going to unleash his combined knowledge of Bending over his past lives on the ones who sought to do harm to him and the people for which he cared.

The Raptors were particularly scared of this since they had obviously seen this boy perform this technique before, and it made them fear the worst possibility.

"Not again!" Repton said in a whimpering voice.

Aang landed on the floor and stomped his right foot, which caused a crack in the stone that travelled into the wall where a huge gaping hole was created. Once that was done, the Avatar directed the strong winds out the hole while the Dark Ace's forces all screamed with fright when they were flung out of the newly-formed exit.

The Regent was lucky enough to grab on to the entryway while he watched everyone else standing around being hurled out of the castle. Still, fear gripped him as he worried what he would have to do when he was all alone to face the boy.

All of Aang's friends had then regained consciousness when they felt the cold draft on their bodies. They all watched in amazement to see that the boy singlehandedly took care of all their foes.

Outside the castle, everyone who was unlucky enough to fall out ended up on the ground from the Avatar's power; only the Dark Ace managed to stay afloat, and he looked at Aang with enraged eyes. He felt humiliated that a mere boy would be able to challenge his own power.

Just then, the Dark Ace noticed that Aang was returning to normal and his Airbending was weakening from the transition. The man knew that this was his chance to strike. He soon gathered red energy in his hand that looked like lightning, and he then shot it out to attack the boy.

Aerrow immediately saw the incoming assault, so he got right in front of Aang with both his hands outstretched. Then remembering the Firebending move he learned from Zuko, he directed the lightning down his arm, across his stomach and through his other arm while paying careful attention not to bring it through his heart. The lightning bolt passed out through Aerrow's other arm while he shouted with ferocity.

The Dark Ace could do nothing but watch with confusion as his own attack had been redirected. His moment of pause had forced him to take his own attack in the chest and sent him away shouting in pain as the energy surged around him. When he regained his control, he looked out with a furious look on his face to see Aerrow and all his friends stare at him austerely.

"This is not over!" said the Dark Ace, and then flew away with his followers on their sky rides.

The group smiled at their victory over the Dark Ace just as the castle guards came rushing into the throne room after they had recovered from their injuries. They all stared at Piper, thinking that she was the princess.

"Your Highness," said one of the guards. "Are you all right?"

"Actually," said Piper, "the princess is over there." She then pointed to Perry, who then nodded in response.

"It's true," said the princess. "I switched places with Piper." She then angrily pointed over to the man who deceived her. "Now, arrest the Regent for treason!"

The guards all nodded to the princess and apprehended the man, who only yelped in surprise when he was forcefully taken into custody.

"What do you think you're doing?" the Regent shouted in distress. "Don't you realize everything I've done? This kingdom would be nothing without me! You cannot do this!"

None of the guards would listen to the Regent's nonsensical ramblings as they escorted him down to the dungeon. The others all stayed behind with proud expressions on their faces for everything they had accomplished.

* * *

><p>It was the next day, and everyone stood near the ramp leading into the <em>Condor<em>. Princess Peregrine was dressed in her own clothes and had joined the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group to see them off and thank them for everything they had done for her and Terra Klockstoppia. To her, it was another adventure with her friends that she would never forget.

"I am truly grateful to you all for saving my kingdom," said Perry. "I wish you all the best of luck in bringing those people to justice."

"Thank you, Perry," said Aerrow.

"It was our pleasure," said Piper.

"I'm glad that you're safe, especially after what I did," said Aang.

Katara looked at the boy, thinking there was no reason to explain his actions. "You were just trying to protect us."

"Yes," added Zuko. "Besides, if it wasn't for you then none of us would be standing here now."

"You really came through for us, Aang," said Starling.

"You even had the Dark Ace shakin' in his boots," said Finn.

Aerrow turned his attention back to the princess just as Radarr hoped onto his shoulders. "Well, we must be going now. And I promise to you as a Sky Knight that Atmos will be safe again, because we're going to put an end to the Dark Ace's nefarious schemes."

Perry smiled up at her friends, both old and new. She bowed to them and walked away while the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group all climbed into the _Condor_. Once everybody was inside, the ramp was folded up and the ship hovered in the air before speeding into the sky.

The princess looked up and waved to her friends when they left and hoped she would get the chance to see them again when they complete their mission.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Well, another awesome chapter finished.<p>

Aerrow: Yeah. And we finally stuck it to the Dark Ace.

Dark Ace: Don't kid yourself. That victory was just a fluke.

Aerrow: I know that deep down you're really just a big wimp!

Dark Ace: Am not!

Aerrow: Are too!

Dark Ace: Am not!

Aerrow: Are too!

BlueTiger321: Uh, well folks, while this epic battle is taking place, stay tuned for the next chapter. Until next time, be sure to read and review!

Dark Ace: Am not!

Aerrow: Are too!


	14. Chapter 14: Foresight

Chapter 14: Foresight

BlueTiger321: Hey, folks! So, after a heated battle, the gang is now on their way to their next destination. Maybe this time it will be something that will assist them in their goal... or maybe not. So read on and find out for yourselves.

* * *

><p>The <em>Condor<em> drifted through the clouds, its massive hull tearing through them like they were nothing. It was a fine day for everyone onboard over their previous success against the Dark Ace's forces. Not only had they managed to defeat everyone in combat, but they also ended the vicious plot of the Regent and saved Terra Klockstoppia from an insidious control. Each of the members of the group had a good feeling that Princess Peregrine would now get the chance to rule freely without any worry as long as they would complete their mission.

The bridge of the ship was full of high-spirited energy after last night's venture. While everyone still remembered that the threat still lingered in the air, they couldn't help but feel good about what they did to their enemies and how they managed to help a friend in her time of need. Now they truly felt confident in their abilities; they were certain that Atmos would be saved.

Aerrow looked out the windshield along with Piper, Aang, Katara, Finn, Radarr, Starling and Junko. For once they actually felt calm during their flight, and it was all because they took the time to learn new skills they thought would be beneficial. It was such a pleasant feeling that none of them wanted it to end; they just wanted to keep flying through the sky without any worry.

But Aerrow knew that a Sky Knight's work was never finished. He took an oath when he was knighted that he would always serve the people of Atmos as long as he was still standing. Turning to his friends he said, "Well guys, I think it's time we discuss our next move."

"You're right," said Aang. "Last night was just the beginning. The Dark Ace is still out there, and who knows what he could be plotting right now."

Katara shivered with fright. "I still can't believe he managed to bring Hama and Long Feng here. I mean, the very fact that they've joined forces with the Dark Ace sends shivers down my spine."

"I'm guessing that you're not on good terms with them," said Starling. "I'm sorry I have to ask but exactly who are they?"

Aang decided to answer the question. "Long Feng used to be the advisor to the Earth King in our world. He worked behind the scenes to make it seem like the king was in power, when in reality he was pulling all the strings. He set everything up in the capital of Ba Sing Se to keep the war a secret. Anyone he thought who would appear out of line was dealt with in his own twisted fashion.

"Well, we managed to make the Earth King see what Long Feng was doing all along, so he was arrested. Then he worked with Azula to regain control, but then she double-crossed him and he was never seen again.

"The first time Aerrow and the others came to our world, we unexpectedly met up with him and he had found the dimension stone—the only thing the Storm Hawks needed to get home. But we defeated him and he was captured for his crimes."

Finn shook his head with frustration. "That clown really knows how to mess things up."

"So what's the deal with the old lady?" asked Junko.

"Hama?" said Katara. Her eyes looked down to the floor in worry as she answered the question. "She was from the Southern Water Tribe during my grandmother's time—that was the time when the Fire Nation declared war on the other kingdoms. She was taken prisoner when they invaded, and she developed a deep hatred for the Fire Nation for many years.

"When we met her, she seemed like a sweet, old woman who lived in the Fire Nation peacefully. But then we found out it was all a misconception. While in prison, she developed an advanced form of Waterbending that controls the fluids in a person's body. She called it Bloodbending, and she used it to imprison the people of the town where she lived."

Aerrow turned to the girl for a moment with a shocked expression on his face. "I remember you doing something like that," he said. "It was the night before we faced off against the Cyclonians and Azula."

Katara nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. What you saw that night was Bloodbending. It's a move that requires so much power that it can only be done on the night of a full moon. I learned how to use that awful technique, but it was only to stop Hama from what she was doing." Tears then streamed from Katara's eyes after remembering all the pain she endured that day.

Piper came up and placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry about what you went through, Katara," she said, "but you did the right thing. Hama had no right to make those people pay for all the suffering she went through, and you were able to stop her. If you hadn't been there then she would only cause more pain to the innocent."

The Water Tribe girl wiped her face with her hand and turned to the crystal mage, her eyes appearing as blue as sapphires. "Thank you, Piper, but this is still a burden I must carry, and I don't ever want it to happen to anyone else." She then gave her friend a stern look for she knew that what she would say next was serious. "I want you to promise me that you will _never_ attempt to do Bloodbending."

"I promise," said Piper. "From what you've said, it sounds like a vile technique. Anyone who would ever use it on someone for their own gain is despicable."

Sokka walked up next to his sister and placed his arm around her waist, just like any sibling would do to ease the other's feelings. "Well, now we've gotten our weirdoes out of the way," he said. "So what's the deal with that other guy?"

"You mean Carver?" said Aerrow. "He was once the Sky Knight of a squadron called the Red Eagles. But he turned traitorous; he struck down his own teammates and stole a powerful crystal from Atmosia, the Aurora Stone. We stopped him and he was sent to prison for his crimes.

"But then a few months passed, and he had everyone convinced that he was under mind control by Cyclonis. He used that story to get out of prison and joined us."

Zuko walked over and heard the story. His eyes were wide open as he couldn't believe someone that decadent could ever be part of the Storm Hawks. "Are you serious? That jerk manipulated his way onto your team?"

"It's true," said Piper. "But the saddest part is that we actually let ourselves believe that Carver had changed. Well, everyone except Aerrow."

"That's right," said the boy Sky Knight. "I always suspected that Carver might be up to something, and I was right. While on our team, he thought of ways to try to get rid of me and take over as leader of the Storm Hawks. When all those attempts failed, he tried getting rid of me the old-fashioned way. But, as you can see, I'm still the leader and he was sent behind bars. Or, at least, he was."

Starling shook her head with total disdain. "Carver no longer has the right to call himself a Sky Knight; everything he's done goes completely against what we're supposed to do. I just hope that no other Sky Knights will act so diabolically."

"They won't," said Aerrow. "I've seen what the other Sky Knights have done, and none of them show any indication of becoming evil. I feel honoured battling alongside them and for all the morals they've vowed to uphold."

The Interceptor smiled at her fellow Sky Knight. Hearing what he said about every other Sky Knight in Atmos made her feel proud of whom she was and everything she had done for all the people she swore to protect. So now she just stood staring out into the sky along with her friends while they continued drifting without any clear indication of where they were headed next.

All was quiet on the bridge until Momo kind of got bored and so he decided to fly aimlessly around the room. Radarr saw this and chirruped with delight. Inside he felt both happy and jealous for the creature's ability to fly. What happened last night with Momo was a bad experience for him, but Radarr wanted to know what it felt like to fly freely without the need for a sky ride or someone else. Someday, he thought, he would like to try that on his own.

Toph grew irritable as she sat on the couch in the middle of the room. "So," she said, "any idea of where we're headed?"

"Not really," Aerrow admitted, turning away from the windshield. "I've been trying to figure out what we should be doing but I keep drawing a blank."

Aang joined with the red-haired teen. "I know what you mean. The situation with the Dark Ace is really stressful. If only we could find out some way about what's going to happen next, then we might be able to do something."

Piper turned around and pursed her lips after hearing what Aang said. A feeling of great thought came to her when she pieced together the way her friend said those words. To her there was only one being capable of foreseeing events before they take place, and she knew where to find her. "I think I've got it," she said.

Everyone turned around to face Piper to hear her suggestion, and they all hoped it would help them.

All eyes were on Piper, and so she said, "I think we should go to the Forbidden City to speak with the Oracle."

Finn cocked an eyebrow. "That's your plan?" he said with disbelief.

"Why not?" said the crystal mage. "We could ask her what the future will look like and see what the Dark Ace is up to."

"But how are we gonna do that?" said Junko. "Didn't Aerrow say that he destroyed the statue and set her free?"

"Yes," replied the girl, "but Aerrow and I also saw Master Cyclonis summon her back to the Forbidden City to demand where the key to the Farside was located. If I can re-enact the same power that Cyclonis used, we should be able to speak with the Oracle."

Aang thought hard about the idea. After a while he said, "I'm not really sure what you mean by this. But if you think it's worth trying, then let's do it."

"I don't see any other leads," said Aerrow. "All right, then." The Sky Knight turned to his carrier pilot. "Set a course for Terra Xoam, Stork."

"Right away," the Merb saluted.

The _Condor_ tilted to its portside before settling once more, headed in the direction for the Forbidden City where the group would hope to find out what the future will hold for them.

* * *

><p>Terra Xoam was filled with thick jungles and many rocky cliffs, and the Storm Hawks were currently driving through the terrain on their rides; even Stork joined them on his unique ride, the <em>Stork-Mobile<em>. Starling, having the fastest sky ride in all of Atmos, drove up front with Aerrow while the rest of the Storm Hawks drove behind them, and the Avatar's group flew above them on Appa.

The boy Sky Knight felt a little nervous upon seeing the Oracle again, especially after what happened the first time he was here. That day, he saw a future that was too horrid to even comprehend and it made him question his own abilities. But then he remembered that all his efforts to prevent that future were not in vain. With his team by his side, he could accomplish whatever challenges would await them.

"So," said Katara, "exactly what are we looking for here?"

"We're looking for the entrance into the Forbidden City," replied Aerrow.

"Yes," said Piper. "We need to find the Oracle and ask her what the future will be like so we can better prepare ourselves. This way, we'll be ready for the Dark Ace."

Stork heard the conversation and said, "And as long as we're there, I want to ask her if the cure for bog measles is ever discovered."

"And I can't wait to get some of the treasure," said Finn. "I know that Aerrow said there wasn't any, but I'm sure that I'll find it."

Sokka scoffed the idea. "You really believe in that drivel? We've had a run-in with a fortune teller once, and she had the people of a town hanging off her every word. Those people were complete suckers to believe in such garbage!"

"I must admit: it does sound rather foolish to me as well," said Starling. "But then again, when have the Storm Hawks ever been wrong about something? I have faith in them and I'll follow them into the unknown if I have to."

"From what I've already seen in this world, I'm willing to believe anything," said Zuko.

"Oh, it's as real as we are," said Aerrow. "I should know, because I saw a possible future that I hope will never happen."

The group remained in silence for the rest of the way until they all stopped at a large manmade opening in the side of a cliff. This is where the Storm Hawks knew Domiwick entered into the Forbidden City along with the Cyclonians. They all stared at the spot with angered expressions for having to encounter the scene of treachery.

"This is it," said Aerrow.

Appa grumbled at the entrance while Aang rubbed his hand over the sky bison's head.

"Sorry, guys," said the Avatar. "Appa hates going underground, so he'll have to stay out here."

"No problem," said Aerrow. "We can take you all in there on our Skimmers. Hop on!"

Appa landed on the ground and each member of the Avatar's group then headed for a different person to ride with: Aang and Momo with Aerrow and Radarr, Katara with Piper, Sokka with Finn, Toph with Junko, and Zuko with Starling.

The red-haired teen looked at everyone, smiled and said, "Now hang on, 'cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

Everyone yelled happily as they drove into the entrance while Appa remained outside. Not long after they left, a rustle came from a set of bushes and a few figures appeared that startled Appa. The sky bison looked wide-eyed and then narrowed while growling. He didn't know whether these mysterious figures were trustworthy or not, but he decided not to take any chances for Aang's sake. So he quietly stepped away and hid amongst the foliage until it was safe.

* * *

><p>Inside the cavern, the sounds of the sky rides echoed as they drove forward with their drivers and passengers seated on top. The group was lucky that the cracks along the surface of the cliff allowed sunlight in that was bright enough to give them clear visibility as they drove deeper into the depths.<p>

Aerrow thought back about the first time they entered: how they found the real entrance into the Forbidden City, all the traps they had sprung just to get inside and uncover the mystery, and how he freed the Oracle after witnessing the future he saw. To him, it was a memory that he would never forget and he was glad that he was there to take the Oracle Crystal before the Cyclonians or Domiwick got to it.

Just then, everyone stopped again when they all saw up ahead a large stone structure with many buildings around it. Most of the buildings had fallen over due to the collapse that ensued the first time the Storm Hawks came but it still looked reasonably safe to progress.

"Are we there yet?" asked Toph.

"Yes," replied Piper. "This is the Forbidden City."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Aang. "Let's head in there and find the Oracle."

Everyone nodded and drove down the ramp and into the Forbidden City. Since they had already solved the puzzles of this area, they quickly drove through the obstacles with little trouble. In and around they all drove, passing through the labyrinth and stopping before the entranceway that led into the Oracle's chamber.

The Storm Hawks all parked their sky rides in a shadowy spot and got off along with their friends. They all looked into the chamber like something foreboding awaited once they stepped inside. But they knew they couldn't back down now; there was too much at stake for them to turn around and walk away, especially after coming this far.

Finn walked off to the side while admiring how much was left intact after the cave-in. "Well, at least we've already gotten rid of all the traps," he said.

No sooner did Finn say his comment when he stepped on a small switch in the floor. A rumbling was heard, and the blonde sharpshooter turned his head to see a piece of the wall was about to come down on him. Finn did the only thing he knew in this situation: he screamed.

Junko came rushing in with his Knuckle Busters ignited. Yelling as he ran, he punched through the wall and made it crumble to pieces right before him and his friend.

Finn was shaking with fear but managed to calm down enough to say, "Well, almost all of them."

Piper shook her head disapprovingly at Finn's mistake as she carried a book in her arms. "I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you don't touch anything," she said to the marksman.

Finn nodded in agreement and walked with everyone else into the chamber. There they saw bits of the ceiling on the floor along with gold coins scattered around the walls. Finn was the most excited to see the treasure to pay any notice to the pedestal where the Oracle statue once stood but was now split into shards.

"I knew it!" said Finn. "I knew there was treasure in here!"

"Finn, that's not why we're here," said Aerrow.

Piper sat the book on the steps and opened it up to a page that was full of words in the ancient Atmosian language. She then reached behind her back and pulled out the crystals she normally used to cast the Binding.

"What do we do now?" asked Zuko.

"We wait and let Piper do her work," replied Aerrow.

The crystal mage read from the book and spoke an incantation in a language that nobody ever recognized. Aerrow remembered Cyclonis used the exact words when she summoned the Oracle, so he knew that this plan was going to work.

Piper finished the incantation, and everyone watched with amazement as her crystals glowed with red and green light and the fragments of stone around the floor started to glow purple. They all gasped as the lights came out of the stones and melded together before the group that shifted around until it looked human. When the light stopped shifting, everyone saw an ethereal being stand before them shaped like a woman in a dress with long hair. She opened her eyes to reveal no pupils but they instead glowed with white light. Both Aerrow and Piper knew that this was the Oracle.

"Incredible," said Aang. "So this is the Oracle."

The Oracle looked at the Storm Hawks with a smile on her face, thinking they were the saviours of Atmos that she always foretold they would be. "Greetings," she said. "It is an honour to meet with the ones who are responsible for bringing peace and prosperity to our world."

Finn picked up a gold coin when he heard the compliment. "Yeah, well, that's just what we do: going around and givin' out peace and prosperity and stuff."

The only one who responded to the marksman's comment was Piper, and she rolled her eyes and grumbled in frustration as she watched Finn make a fool out of himself.

"So," said the Oracle, "may we discuss what brings you back here?"

Sokka gave the woman a doubtful glance. "Oh, please," he said. "Do we really have to stand here and listen to this prattle?"

Katara shushed her brother quiet while everyone else watched Aerrow walk up to the Oracle.

"Yes," said the red-haired teen. "As you may know, the Dark Ace has returned and is threatening to use his new powers to take control of Atmos. We came to talk to you to see what the future will hold for us and how we can prevent it."

The Oracle considered the Sky Knight's request. She knew that her powers would be crucial in their quest, which is the sole reason she was summoned here in the first place. "Of course," she said. "I may no longer have my crystal, but I still have some of my power left. I will do my best to show you what will happen." With a wave of her hands, she then bathed the room in purple light that activated her power.

_Everyone was now viewing a possible future in which the Dark Ace had forcibly assumed control over Atmos. All around him the terras had been laid waste to with forests set ablaze and homes reduced to rubble, and every person cowered in fear before him. _

_But the most disturbing image the group saw was a large red crystal cast where the Beacon Tower of Terra Atmosia once stood, and trapped within it were the Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group. All of them looked like they were screaming for their lives before they were trapped forever for all of Atmos to see what would happen if they defied the Dark Ace's rule._

The image faded out of everyone's minds and they were all left gasping with disbelief. They never thought that was what would happen should they fail.

"That's horrible," said Katara.

"I know!" said Sokka. "But the worst part is that I'll probably end up stuck in that crystal before I ask Suki out on a date."

"Don't kid yourself," said Toph. "I'm sure even she has high standards."

The Water Tribe boy narrowed his eyes angrily at the insult. "Oh, thanks a lot," he said sarcastically.

Aerrow looked up at the Oracle. "What do we have to do to make sure that never happens?"

"That was only a possible future," replied the Oracle. "All I can say is that the other world connected to Atmos is the key. The Avatar will be able to help you. I am afraid that is all I can offer. It is now up to you to see it done."

"Thank you, Oracle," said Piper. She removed her control on the spell she cast and let the Oracle go back to the place from where she came.

Before the Oracle's ethereal body faded away, her last words echoed throughout the room. "Good luck, Storm Hawks."

The group watched as the Oracle left them with her words still going through their minds. Now they had to figure out how the other world and Aang were going to help.

"Well, that was unexpected," said Zuko.

"I know," said Aang. "How do you figure I fit into this?"

Everyone's thoughts were interrupted when they all heard a loud sneeze. They turned around to see that Junko was the one who made it. The Wallop's eyes were now red and puffy, and he wiped his running nose with the back of his hand.

"Uh, guys?" said Junko. "I think we've got a problem." When he was finished, he exhaled another huge sneeze.

Aerrow knew that Junko's allergies were a dangerous matter. Narrowing his eyes he said, "You can say that again." He then turned to the others. "We need to hide, now!"

The Storm Hawks all dove behind the huge piles of gold coins while Starling and the Avatar's group were all confused by the other's sudden reactions; Junko having allergies did not seem that big a deal to them.

"What's going on?" said Starling.

Piper shushed the Interceptor. "Just be quiet and hide back here with us."

The others all shrugged their shoulders and joined with the Storm Hawks to stay in hiding. Now they all thought it was time to get some answers.

"Why are we hiding?" Katara whispered.

"Because Junko is allergic to two things, and they both mean trouble," replied Piper.

"Yeah," said Stork. "We always know to watch out when Junko starts sneezing, because it's a sure sign of either sky sharks or..." The Merb was about to say the other thing when he saw the entrance and ducked his head down while whispering a short whimper.

Aerrow looked at the entrance to see who was there. He recognized the band anywhere and he narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Murk Raiders!"

Everyone saw from behind their cover a group of three-toed and fingered creatures who were the Murk Raiders, the deadly pirates of Atmos that would plunder anything they set their sights on until there was nothing, or nobody, left. All of them wore ragged clothing while they clutched their double-edged cutlasses that glowed with purple crystal energy. They all looked around the room and shouted with cheers as they had finally found the treasure of a lifetime.

The Murk Raiders all walked into the room to allow their leader inside. He was a rather large being with black dreadlocks and a menacing reptilian right eye; where his left eye should be was a huge red scar that blinded it. His left arm had been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic that had sharp claws. Like any other fighter in Atmos, he wore various armour plates over his black clothes that had the skull and cutlass insignia on his back, and a large blade was tucked into his belt. This Murk Raider was named Captain Scabulous.

Right behind the captain was his first mate, Eyeball. He was a portly creature with his stomach bulging out pass the waist of his pants while he wore a black vest. An eye patch was kept over his left eye to give his namesake, and his left leg had been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic much like his captain's left arm.

Captain Scabulous looked around the room and laughed with a thick accent. "We've hit the mother lode, boys!" he said. "I knew this was the place!"

Eyeball laughed along with his captain. "So what are we gonna do with all this loot, Captain?"

The others all watched with fear filling up inside them. The Storm Hawks and Starling knew that the Murk Raiders were definitely a force to be reckoned with, and it would be best to avoid a fight if they could. Their only way out was blocked and making another exit would only give themselves away. Aerrow figured that since they parked their sky rides in the shadows, the Murk Raiders had no idea that the group was here. So now they would have to wait and see what the pirates were going to do. But at that moment, Junko could feel another sneeze coming.

"Junko," Piper whispered, "you've got to hold it in."

The Wallop nodded and placed his hands over his mouth to quiet himself. He hoped that the sneeze wouldn't come out long enough so the others could get out of this dilemma.

"So glad you asked, Eyeball," said Captain Scabulous. "I think that with the treasure, we'll be able to get what we've always wanted the most but was taken out of our grasp: a brand new kitchen!"

The Murk Raiders all erupted with cheers while the others looked at them oddly. Using the gold to buy a new kitchen did not seem like the pirates at all.

"You know what this means?" said Scabulous. "No more splinters from wooden spoons, new non-stick pots and pans, and a full spice rack with more oregano than we can count! And the best part is that no one even knows we're here, so this treasure is as good as ours."

Suddenly, a loud sneeze came from behind the treasure and blew away a pile of gold coins. The Murk Raiders whipped themselves around to see what caused it and they all stood expressionless when they saw Junko and Finn crouching there. The Wallop let out a sheepish smile while he wiped away the snot from his nostrils.

Finn tried to think of an explanation. "Uh, surprise?" he said.

The Murk Raiders all growled as they recognized the two as members of the Storm Hawks, who always interfered with their plans to get rich. They all ignited their weapons and started to advance on them.

Seeing that their cover was now blown, Aerrow jumped out in front of Finn and Junko with his daggers ignited and the others soon followed.

"You again?" said the captain.

"Hey, Captain Scabulous," said the boy Sky Knight. "I should've figured that you'd be drawn to treasure."

"Well, I should've figured that you pests would always stick your noses in our business!"

Aang got up front to face the Murk Raiders. "I'm warning you: let us go, or we'll be forced to take you down."

Captain Scabulous merely stared at the boy like he was crazy, and then he couldn't help but erupt with laughter at the statement. The other Murk Raiders followed their captain and mocked the Avatar for what he said. When Scabulous finally settled down he said, "Boy, you obviously have no idea who you're messing with." He then pointed his ignited blade. "Now, if you all come quietly with us, then maybe you might live to be our slaves."

"I would rather die than join the likes of you," said Starling.

Scabulous had gotten the answer. "Then so be it!" he said, and then rushed in with his blade high above his head.

The other Murk Raiders followed their captain into battle while the others stood and waited for the right moment. All at once, Aang, Toph, Aerrow and Junko stomped their feet to the ground to raise stalagmites that surrounded the band of pirates. This sent a wave of confusion over the Murk Raiders as they all stopped and wondered what happened.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" said Scabulous.

"The kind that isn't sorcery!" replied Aerrow.

The boy Sky Knight then joined with the Avatar to send out a huge blast of air from their palms that blew right into the Murk Raiders and made some of them slide along the ground. Junko, with his allergies still acting up, did his own version of Airbending by sneezing so hard that he blew away whatever pirates were unlucky enough to stand in front of him.

Eyeball was looking worriedly just as the air stopped blowing. "Captain, what are we supposed to do?"

Scabulous blinked in surprise, which showed that even he was clueless about how to combat people with such strange powers. "Good question," he said.

The theatrics didn't stop as Starling, Zuko and Aang decided to show off their Firebending by waving flames around their hands that came dangerously close to the Murk Raiders. Aerrow, Piper and Katara had also bent water out of the crystal mage's water crystal that they used to lash Water Whips right near their feet. Soon all the Murk Raiders were backed against the wall while the group advanced on them.

Aerrow was now close to Captain Scabulous, so he decided now was the time to tell him. "We're not here to battle you. Our business is concluded here, so you can have all the treasure you want. If you'll let us leave without a fuss, then we won't have to fight."

Finn perked up when he heard the ultimatum. "Hey!" he protested. "Why do they get to have all the treasure?"

"Because they're not the ones on an important mission," Piper explained.

Scabulous thought about it for a moment. He looked at his men and saw fear was now taking hold of them after witnessing such power coming from the group. The captain did not want to admit it since he thought it was a sign of weakness but he would have to comply with them. "Fine," he said. "You may go."

The group all smiled at seeing their plan work, so they released their Bending control and started walking out of the chamber. But Aerrow stop just short of the entryway to look Scabulous in the eye.

"You know," said the Sky Knight, "you were part of the resistance against Cyclonia."

"True," said Scabulous, "but that was a long time ago. Just because we fought alongside each other doesn't mean we're friends."

"But you should be grateful to us. If it wasn't for our efforts then you wouldn't have anywhere else to plunder. You should think about that."

The captain gave a short chuckle under his breath. "Sorry, lad, but I've already walked down this path for so long, and it's too late for me to turn back now." He turned to his men while they all gleefully ran up to grab whatever treasure they could carry. Still seeing Aerrow out of the corner of his eye he said, "Now get out of here, before I change my mind."

Aerrow walked out of the Oracle's chamber while leaving Captain Scabulous to mull over the last thing he said to him. Meanwhile the captain paused for a moment while he did think about what the boy said. When Cyclonia did try to take control over Atmos the Murk Raiders did fight alongside the Sky Knights, but it was only to cut a deal with them just so they could get him out of jail so he felt he had no reason to owe anything to anyone, especially the Storm Hawks. Still, he couldn't help but feel like there was something behind why they really came here.

* * *

><p>The <em>Condor<em> had left Terra Xoam once everyone was back onboard. With their clue given to them by the Oracle, they were now going to focus on it to make sure that the future she showed to them would never become real.

Everyone sat in the bridge while they all tried to figure out what the Oracle meant.

"So what does it all mean, and how does Aang figure into it?" said Aerrow.

"I have no idea," said Piper.

Katara put her hand to her chin but then suddenly thought of the reason. "Wait a minute," she said. "The Oracle said that our world is the key and that Aang would help us, right? Well, what if that means we have to get everyone from our world to join in our quest? Aang is the Avatar, so that means he'll be able to convince everyone we know who's a good fighter to come over to Atmos and help us stop the Dark Ace."

Aerrow looked at Radarr as they exchanged quizzical glances. The idea seemed kind of farfetched since no one in the Avatar's world really had any reason to take part in this fight but it seemed like the most likely of options. The red-haired teen turned to Katara and said, "I don't see any other explanation."

"You're right; it does make sense," said Aang. "We know plenty of people from our world that would be willing to fight with us. If we can talk them into coming to Atmos, then we'd have a greater chance of fighting against the Dark Ace and everyone else who's joined him."

"So what?" said Stork. "Do you honestly think that random people you know are just gonna come help us in an instant? They hardly even know us! And I doubt they'll just rush off into a battle in another world, 'cause it really isn't any of their concern."

"We have to," said Aang. "You guys helped us stop a war when you came to our world, so now we have to tell everyone we know that the same thing is happening here."

"You can think of it as them returning the favour," said Sokka.

Starling looked at the Storm Hawks. "Well, what do you think?" she said. "Is it worth a try?"

The Storm Hawks looked at each other to see if anyone was willing to give any second thoughts. But they all looked with determination in their eyes. It was the look Aerrow recognized in his team that they were all going to bravely head into the unknown without any fear of what might lay in wait for them.

"Let's do it!" said Aerrow.

Piper nodded and headed out to the balcony with the dimension stone in her hands. She then got out her Binding crystals and used them to fire a red beam. The dimension stone levitated in the air before firing off a beam of green light that created the portal to the Avatar's world. When the portal was big enough, the _Condor_ drove through it before it closed and vanished in a flash of light.

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><p>BlueTiger321: Ooh... This definitely looks interesting. Well folks, I want to stay that I'm going to be out of town on vacation for the next few days, so I probably won't be updating any time soon. But if I do, then you'll be in for another big surprise in the next chapter. So, until next time, please be sure to read and review.<p> 


	15. Chapter 15: A Strange Reunion

Chapter 15: A Strange Reunion

BlueTiger321: Hi, everyone! I'm back from my vacation. Now I can safely say that I've survived after driving around the streets of Montreal. I'm sure that all my fellow Canadians know what I'm talking about. =P Anyway, I apologize in advance for making this chapter so blasé, but it's because I can't really think of anything else for the characters to do and my birthday is coming up soon so I want to take a break. But, I digress: here's the next chapter for all of you to enjoy. And again, credit goes to the Avatar Wiki for some of the information in this chapter.

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><p>The Dark Ace's forces stood within Repton's lair on Bogaton, fuming with rage after their humiliating defeat against the Storm Hawks on Klockstoppia. Their plan for a quick and easy victory had been hindered by the unexpected actions of the terra's princess and the Storm Hawks' crystal mage.<p>

But the Dark Ace was truly furious for being defeated by both Aerrow and the Avatar. Never before had he seen the boy Sky Knight use the technique to redirect his own power. Now, he thought, that he should not underestimate his enemy any longer, for one error could evidently lead to his own demise—and he had come too far for something like that to happen.

"So what are we supposed to do now, O mighty Dark Ace?" Repton said in a sarcastic tone. "How do you expect us to take up arms against that boy if he could toss us around in the blink of an eye?"

"I'm afraid I must agree," said Ravess. "I'm beginning to think that all of this may be a lost cause. We were probably better off before you started interfering."

The Dark Ace shook his head with contempt and then looked at his followers with glowing eyes. "Are you implying that I'm just wasting everyone's time?" he said. "Would you rather I leave you all where you came from? As I recall, I did all of you a favour. Some of you were rotting away in prison while the rest of you had been banished without a care about what happens to you. The way I see it, each and every one of you owes me."

Everyone then narrowed their eyes and gritted their teeth. It was true about what the Dark Ace said about them rescuing them from their fates, but the way he said it made them feel like they were indebted to him when they should feel like his partners.

Carver walked up and faced the Dark Ace like he was going to beat him senseless just for speaking him in that tone. "I haven't forgotten," he said, "but let's get one thing straight: I'm only doing this just so I can see the look on Aerrow's face when I end his life. Whatever you do afterward is your own business."

"That goes for me, too," said Domiwick. "All I want is to live on so I can become famous throughout Atmos."

Long Feng was the next one to speak his mind. "It seems that we're all in agreement. If we keep our promises then you should keep yours, or else you will have to find yourself some new lackeys."

"So what's it gonna be, Dark Ace?" Repton said with his brothers standing beside him to show their support.

The Dark Ace understood the terms coming from his followers. They were right; he did promise all of them what they wanted in return, but the way they spoke to him made him feel like none of them were even worth keeping. Still, he knew that the time would come when they would prove their usefulness so he had to keep up the charade just to make sure they would stay. "Well, you all make good points," he said. "I suppose that I have been a bit careless in our efforts. But, now I know what we should do next."

"What's that?" asked Ravess.

Everyone watched the Dark Ace walk around them as he held up his fist glowing with red energy. "I think the time for games is over," he said. "If we want to give the Storm Hawks a run for their money, then we should make ourselves known throughout Atmos. Panic will arise on every terra, and every Sky Knight squadron will blindly come flying in to help protect the innocent—and that is when we shall strike. The Storm Hawks won't be able to initiate a plan with their allies, so they'll be easy prey for us. And when that is all done, all of you shall receive your rewards."

Cheers came out of the mouths of everyone in the room from hearing the plan. They were now finally going to strike fear in the hearts of every man, woman and child in Atmos so they would all know who they were going to worship from now on and end their enemies' existence.

"It sounds like a good idea," said Snipe.

"Of course it is," said the Dark Ace. "And hopefully the Storm Hawks and their friends will feel like there's no escape from us when we bring chaos!"

The alliance all stood around the lair with devilish smiles forming on their faces. After hearing the words coming from the Dark Ace, their faith in him was now invigorated since they were going to do the one thing they all did so well: create destruction. Meanwhile the Dark Ace looked at his followers and thought they were all foolish for agreeing to stay with him, and he would make sure that they would realize who truly had the power.

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><p>The skies above the ocean of the other world were a deep blue as the sun had already reached noon. Everything was tranquil and not a thing was out of place. Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted from the sky that created a swirling green vortex where the <em>Condor<em> rushed out after flying in at full speed. When the ship was out, the portal closed in another flash of light and the Storm Hawks' ship slowed down when it passed over the waters.

Inside the bridge everyone gazed out to see that they were now in the parallel world. Starling was the only one who felt a little out of place since this was her first time coming to the Avatar's world, but she knew that her friends would be able to clue her in about all the details.

"This is it?" said the Interceptor. "It's certainly much more different than Atmos. I can't believe that this world has a great ocean." Her attention was fixed on Aang and the others as she said her last comment. "Do you realize how lucky you all are? There are people in Atmos who would do anything for a place like this."

"Maybe when this is all over," said Katara, "we could make our two worlds live together, just like they did a long time ago."

"Right," said Aerrow. "But right now our mission is our top priority. If we don't do something to stop the Dark Ace then nobody in Atmos would even get to see the wonders of this world."

"So now that we're here, where do we go?" asked Finn.

"I don't know," said Piper. "The portal could've taken us anywhere, so I have no idea about where we are. I may have to do some more research about the dimension stone to see if I can control where we'll end up the next time we use it."

"Don't worry," said Aang. "You have us to help navigate you. After all, this is our world so we should know."

Stork's eyes widened when he looked out the windows to see something up ahead that was getting bigger as the _Condor_ was getting closer. "Hey," he said. "So do you think that island over there is a good place to start?"

"Island? What island?" asked Toph.

The Avatar's group all rushed to the window to look for the place as mentioned by the Merb. There they all saw a large island on the ocean covered with mountainous terrain, and its most notable feature was a crescent-shaped bay just off the southern edge. Everybody smiled as they recognized this was the home of some of their friends.

"That's Kyoshi Island!" said Sokka. "All right! Now we'll get to see Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors!"

"Yeah," said Aang as he turned to the Storm Hawks' carrier pilot. "Don't you remember Stork? You took us here to pick up the Kyoshi Warriors so we could take them to Ba Sing Se before Azula attacked."

The Merb scratched his head while he tried to think back to that time. It's then he did recall when he travelled with Aang all across the world, and this island was one of the stops. But then the horrible memory of the giant eel that almost sank the _Condor_ came back to him and it made him quiver all over with anxiety. He then made a mental note to land the ship as far away from the coastline as possible.

"Yeah, it's coming back to me now," said Stork.

"Well, that looks like as good a place as any to begin," said Aerrow. "Stork, set us down there and we'll go pay the Kyoshi Warriors a visit to see if they'll join us."

The carrier pilot nodded and steered the _Condor_ in the direction of Kyoshi Island. Stork had then found the perfect spot of land—an open clearing where no one would notice or even try to sneak into the ship. Once in the centre, the ship roared as its landing gear was deployed and its crystal engines shut off to make the exhaust ports stop spewing energy. The _Condor_ landed with a soft thud that frightened some of the local birds and made them fly away in horror. The ramp was then lowered to let everyone off the ship.

Aerrow admired how the island was covered with thick forests as far as the eye could see. It seemed to him like this would be a paradise to anyone who would live here. "This looks great," he said.

"It sure is," said Katara. "This island used to be a peninsula on the Earth Kingdom, but Avatar Kyoshi separated it from the mainland when a conqueror threatened to invade."

Aang then thought back to the time when he and his friends visited the town of Chin on the infamous Avatar Day where he was tried as a criminal for what his past incarnation did to their great leader; it was probably the most humiliating day of his life. But it was all in the past and now everyone in the world had deep admiration for the Avatar, so he cheerfully went down the ramp with his friends and travelled into Kyoshi Island.

As they all walked down the dirt path, Stork looked around with nervousness. He didn't even know why he came with them when all he wanted was to be left in the safety of his beloved ship for he didn't know what would suddenly spring out and get him. Paranoia soon took hold of him while he walked with the others and he paid careful attention to his surroundings.

Piper took a book from her room and started reading from it to find more information about the dimension stone. Somehow, she thought, there had to be a better way of controlling it so that she would create a portal where she wanted to go. This seemed to be the perfect time to do her research since there was no immediate threat in this world.

Junko looked around with drooping eyes and he walked sluggishly like he was lethargic. A grumble soon came from his stomach as he realized that it had been quite some time since he had eaten anything. He rubbed his stomach to alleviate the hunger, but all it did was make it grumble even more.

"Hey, guys?" said the Wallop. "I'm gettin' kinda hungry here. Do you think we could stop and rest so I can find something to eat?"

"We're almost at the village, Junko," said Aang. "When we get there, you'll have plenty of food to eat."

Junko sighed in disappointment; he couldn't wait that long until he could fill his empty stomach. The poor Wallop was so desperate that he could eat just about anything when he was in this mood. Just then he stopped and let the others go past him when he spotted something in the forest. There was a small, drooping flower sitting under a tree. Its distinct characteristics were the white pedals with red streaks coming out from the inside, and a yellow bloom sitting neatly in the centre.

Junko didn't know what this flower was but it certainly looked edible. He licked his lips and eagerly went over to the flower where he pulled it out of the ground and stared at it with gusto.

The others all stopped when they noticed that Junko wasn't with them. That's when Zuko spotted the Wallop about to swallow the flower he picked up. The memory of what his uncle did with the same kind of flower suddenly came back to him and he gasped with alarm.

"Junko, wait!" cried the Fire Lord.

But it was too late; Junko ate the flower in one bite. The cry coming from his friend made him turn his head to face the others. "Oh, sorry, guys," he said while still chewing. "I should've asked if you wanted some." Junko then swallowed and was satisfied that he had something in his stomach.

Zuko rushed over to Junko, and everyone else followed when they saw their friend react so worriedly.

"What's the matter?" asked Starling.

"Junko just ate that flower," replied Zuko, "and I've got a bad feeling about it."

Junko was now starting to feel nervous. "Why's that?" he asked.

Zuko turned around while everyone else but Junko stared at him. "Well," he said, "back when Uncle Iroh and I were fleeing from Azula, we came upon a flower just like that one. He said that it was either the White Dragon Bush or the White Jade Bush."

"What's so bad about that?" said Finn.

"Well, the White Dragon Bush is used to make tea, whereas the White Jade Bush is poisonous. I'm sorry, but I could never really tell the difference between the two of them so I wouldn't know which type the one Junko just ate."

The others all exchanged worried looks when they found out the reason for Zuko's panic. Now they were all starting to wonder if Junko would actually be all right.

"Well," said Aerrow, "let's just hope that it wasn't the poisonous one."

"Uh, guys?" said Junko.

Everyone turned around and gasped when they saw the Wallop. His whole face was now covered with a red rash that caused his skin to become swollen. The rash was already spreading to his arms, making Junko scratch furiously to alleviate the itching. His large fingers made it difficult to scratch the irritated skin and he was forced to roll on the ground.

Junko stopped and looked up to see Radarr's small hands. A smile came to his face as he thought they would be perfect for scratching. "Hey, Radarr, could you give me a hand?"

The furry co-pilot looked down at his paws and churred with anger, both at the bad pun and the disgusting request from his friend. He would always help the others with their problems but he thought that this was going too far.

"Oh no," said Zuko. "He's eaten a White Jade Bush. We better get him to the village quickly, or else the rash will spread to his throat and he'll stop breathing."

Now Junko was truly scared when he heard about the possibility of dying. His eyes shifted around while he screamed in panic.

Toph perked up her head when she sensed some vibrations that were growing stronger. She smirked when she already recognized who was making them from the way they ran. "I don't think that's gonna be a problem, 'cause we're about to receive a warm welcome."

Everyone looked at the blind girl strangely but then jumped back in alarm when they saw several figures jump out from the bushes and land right in front of them. Then they firmly stood their ground when they noticed the uniforms they all wore and the makeup on their faces. But Starling, on the other hand, was still put on edge and held her hand close to her weapon in case she was met with hostility.

"Who are they?" asked the Interceptor.

"Starling, you can relax," said Aang. "These are the Kyoshi Warriors."

The Sky Knight settled down and stood at ease with her comrades while they all greeted the Kyoshi Warriors. All of them stood in salute when they saw the Avatar along with the people they met from the world parallel to their own. The Storm Hawks all smiled when the women comprising the army treated them with respect to show they were allies.

Sokka looked amongst the warriors and stopped when he saw the leader standing in the middle. "Suki!" he cried with glee and ran up to embrace the girl.

Suki hugged the teenage boy back, happy to see him after such a long time. "Hi, Sokka," she said. "I see that you've brought some friends with you."

"Is Ty Lee here as well?" asked Katara.

Suki was about to answer that question when everyone turned around when they heard a loud screech. Each person was now staring awkwardly at Radarr being embraced forcefully by one Kyoshi Warrior. From the way her brown hair was braided, everyone knew that girl was Ty Lee. The Storm Hawks' co-pilot tried to get away from the crazed girl hugging him but her grip was too strong for him and his head turned red and swelled up like a balloon.

"Yes, she is," answered Suki.

Ty Lee continued embracing Radarr and said, "Oh, you're so cute!"

Radarr had managed to slip under Ty Lee's arms and ran behind Aerrow's leg for protection. That last encounter left him gasping for air while he rubbed his sore arms after nearly being crushed.

The red-haired teen looked down playfully at his furry cohort, thinking it was kind of funny. "I don't think he likes her very much," he said.

Radarr chirred angrily at the boy. Saying that he didn't like her very much was putting it lightly; he thought she was absolutely insane.

Suki then turned her attention to the Storm Hawks, already knowing who they were and from where they came. "So, what brings you back to our world?"

"It's kind of a long story," replied Aerrow.

Junko butted in while still trying to scratch his rashes. "Can it wait 'til someone helps me?" he pleaded.

Suki was both shocked and repulsed by the Wallop's swollen face. "What's wrong with him?"

"He ate a White Jade Bush," replied Zuko. "We better get him to the village so he can be cured."

The lead Kyoshi Warrior thought about it for a moment while putting her gloved hand to her lips. It was then that she suddenly had an idea about how to help Junko before his rash quickly got out of hand. "I know what to do," she said. "Wait here."

The group all stood still as they watched Suki run off and head for a tree in the forest. When she got underneath the branches, the girl unsheathed a sword from her belt and used her superior skills to jump and cut down an object from the tree. Suki landed on the ground, sheathed her sword and held out an open palm. A small patch of red berries landed in her hand, and she ran back to the others.

Holding the berries into Junko's face, Suki said, "Eat these."

Junko looked at the berries curiously. "What are they?"

"They're bacui berries. Their juice is able to cure the poison of the White Jade Bush."

Zuko looked at the berries doubtfully, remembering what else they could be. "Are you sure they're not macahoni berries?"

"What do those do?" asked Finn.

"They inflict blindness," the Fire Lord said dryly.

The sharpshooter was wide-eyed and worriedly looked at his Wallop friend, thinking that he had already been through enough and didn't have to take a risk with this strange fruit.

"Trust me," said Suki. "I know this island like the back of my hand, and these are definitely bacui berries." She then looked at Junko with sincere eyes. "Just eat these and you'll be fine."

Junko could tell that the girl was telling him the truth and he knew that this would be his only hope, so he willingly took the berries and ate them while they were still on the stems.

"You know," Suki added, "there is a saying we have to tell the difference between the White Dragon and the White Jade: 'Red on white, serves them right. White on pink, good to drink.'"

"Well," said Stork, "I'm sure that Junko will think twice before ingesting anything strange ever again, because next time he might not be so lucky."

Aerrow nodded with agreement. "Well, now that that's taken care of, we do need to talk to you and the other Kyoshi Warriors about something really important."

"I'm sure it can wait," said Suki. "Would you mind discussing it when we get back to the village?"

The boy Sky Knight shrugged his shoulders. "Not at all."

By Suki's command, the Kyoshi Warriors all followed her into the forest with the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group following close behind them. Soon they would be able to make their request with the warriors about the problem in Atmos—and the Storm Hawks hoped they would say yes.

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><p>It wasn't long until the group had all gotten to a clearing that led into a small village. By that time Junko's rash had already cleared up after eating the bacui berries. The Wallop was truly grateful to Suki for having saved him from a deadly fate.<p>

Everyone looked up and saw the village stand before them. Two rows of wooden houses were parallel to each other and went uphill with a larger house standing at the top. At the bottom of the village was an enormous log standing vertically with a figure carved into the top. Each member looked up to see that it was shaped like a woman and painted in the exact same colours as the Kyoshi Warriors.

"Who is that supposed to be?" asked Starling.

"That's Avatar Kyoshi," replied Katara. "She was one of Aang's past incarnations."

"She's the one for making Kyoshi Island what it is today," added Suki.

Everyone soon stopped when they saw all the villagers rush out of their houses upon seeing the Avatar and cheered with praise. The Storm Hawks all felt this was an awkward moment for them since they knew that they technically weren't the ones they were cheering for, but Finn couldn't help but bask in the glory, except when he saw one man sway his body around strangely, his mouth spew foam like a rabid dog and then faint from extreme euphoria.

Aerrow knew that this was probably going to be the best time to ask the Kyoshi Warriors their request. "Now can we ask you about what we need?"

"Of course," said Suki.

Aang got up front to ask the girl. "The reason we've come here is because the Storm Hawks' world is in trouble. One of their enemies has gained untold power and he's using it to unleash his malicious reign. We've done all we can to stop him but it's not enough. Now we're going around our world to see who will join us to save their world."

Suki thought about it for a moment. She knew that the Storm Hawks had helped them fend against Azula when she once again tried to take control of the world, and she also knew that they were trustworthy from everything she heard and seen about them. A great sense of honour soon filled up inside her as she thought that she would be indebted to them for helping to save their world.

"Well," said Suki, "I would have to discuss this with our village's leader first, but you have my word that the Kyoshi Warriors will always have your back."

"Sure," added Ty Lee. "This seems like fun. If it means I'll get to travel to anywhere new, I'll do it!"

The Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group all smiled proudly; the first part of their task was now complete. But they knew that this was only the beginning and should not take it lightly.

"Thank you," said Aerrow before turning to his teammates. "Well, we've got their support."

"Yeah," said Stork, "but there's like a countless amount of places in this world where we need to go ask more people for help if we wanna stop the Dark Ace. How are we gonna get to them all in time? And no, I don't have a way to make the _Condor_ travel that fast."

Piper still read from the book she brought along when she opened her eyes upon reading one section. A gasp escaped her lips before she said, "Hey guys!" All eyes turned on her when she got their attention. "I think I have the answer!"

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><p>BlueTiger321: Wow! Now the Kyoshi Warriors will help, but what about everyone else?<p>

Junko: I hope they do, because we- *spots a flower* Ooh! *eats the flower*

Zuko: Oh no! Junko, that was another White Jade Bush!

Junko: O_OU Uh oh! *starts scratching*

BlueTiger321: Well folks, stay tuned when I'll have the next chapter up. So, until next time...

Zuko: Read and review!

Junko: Can someone help me?


	16. Chapter 16: Dimension Hopping

Chapter 16: Dimension-Hopping

BlueTiger321: Okay! So welcome to the next chapter. I've come back after celebrating my birthday and it was awesome! With this chapter there's going to be a lot of surprises involved, so let's hope they all work out in our heroes' favour. Also, I want to apologize in advance (again) because this chapter will have more filler to what I really have in store. Enjoy!

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><p>Everyone had crowded around Piper as soon as they heard her say that she had a solution to their predicament. They knew that there was not a lot of time to fly around the entire world just to ask people to come back with them to Atmos and fight against a ruthless foe like the Dark Ace, but maybe, they all thought, there would be the perfect way to make sure that they complete it in time and Piper was going to give them that.<p>

Piper could feel all eyes on her while she stood between Aerrow with Radarr hanging on his shoulders to her right and Stork to her left. To her this seemed like the very thing the group needed and she couldn't wait to explain it to them.

The suspense was finally enough for the boy Sky Knight. Looking into the crystal mage's eyes he said, "What have you got for us, Piper?"

"Well," she said, "I've been reading about more facts about the dimension stone, and I've just discovered something that we can use to get to each location much faster."

"What's that?" asked Katara.

Piper opened up the book to reveal a page that showed an illustration of one portal appearing in one world where the person looked to be in deep thought, and right below it was another illustration of another portal appearing in the other world. No one could really tell which world was which since the person looked neither to be from Atmos or the Avatar's world.

"What does this mean?" asked Starling.

"It means that I can use the dimension stone to send us wherever we want to go if I concentrate hard enough," replied Piper. "By picturing an image of the location in my mind while I create the portal, I'll be able to manipulate it to bring us there. This way we can travel back and forth between the two worlds in a much faster time than just flying all over this world."

Aerrow nodded along with his co-pilot. "It's brilliant!" he said. "I knew you'd think of a way, Piper."

Everyone else nodded with approval and smiled at their friend. Her ingenuity had given them the tactic they needed in order to get everyone in this world to join their cause. Stork, meanwhile, was shaking his head with disapproval.

"Um," said the Merb, "that sounds like a great plan and all but I'm afraid that you're overlooking one tiny flaw: you haven't really been to enough of these places to picture what they would look like."

Everyone soon frowned and looked down at the ground in shame while their shoulders were drooped. Stork was right; Piper had only been to a select few locations in this world to actually remember what they looked like.

"Well, so much for that plan," said Finn.

"Not necessarily," said Piper. Her finger pointed over one section of text on the page while she read from it. "It says here that the one creating the portal can also connect with someone to establish a mental link so they can show an image of where they want to go." When she was finished reading, she looked up at the Avatar. "Aang, do you think you could help me with this?"

The boy smiled and nodded, knowing he would have a clear image of every location where they should go. "Of course," he said.

"Then it's settled," said Aerrow. "Let's all get back to the _Condor_ and get to work as soon as possible."

"Maybe we should come with you," said Suki. Her fellow warriors soon nodded with agreement.

"You can't," said the red-haired teen. "You already told us that you had to get your village leader's approval before going with us, and we still haven't quite figured this out yet. So I think the best thing for you to do is to stay here and wait for us. As soon as we're ready, we'll give you a signal."

Suki nodded, knowing that the Sky Knight had made a valid point. "Okay, what's the signal?"

Aerrow was about to reply when he let out a breath and looked up in confusion. "I'm not exactly sure," he admitted, "but you'll know it when you see it."

"Yeah, that's _very_ reassuring," Sokka said sarcastically.

The boy Sky Knight was about to say a comeback but decided the mission was more important. "Anyway, we need to get back to the _Condor_, so let's go!"

The rest of the group ran out of the village while the Kyoshi Warriors and the villagers all waved to them goodbye. Suki smiled back at the group as they left, wondering what the future might hold for them once they were to engage in the battle. This would be like nothing she had ever faced before but she knew that she and her fellow warriors would be ready when the time would come.

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><p>It was not long before the group had gotten back to the <em>Condor<em>, and the ship stood where it was when it landed: still, peaceful, and untouched. Everyone was now tired from having to walk instead of riding to the village but they knew they would have time to regain their strength after flying through the skies once more, and they did not want to waste any more time when they had so much depending on them.

The ramp into the ship had been lowered to allow the Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group inside while Appa flew onto the runway. Once everyone was onboard, Stork got to the controls and started up his ship to take to the skies. The exhaust ports exhaled the crystal energy and the ship was skyward when the engines came to life.

Piper had brought out her Binding crystals along with the dimension stone. Everything she had read from the book was only speculation—but she hoped that it was true. "All right," she said. "I'm going to take us back to Atmos. When we do, Aang is going to help me make a connection so he can picture the image of where we need to go next."

"I'll do my best," said the Avatar.

It was then that some of the members decided to give their own words of encouragement to their friend.

"We're counting on you, Aang," said Zuko.

"Don't mess this up, Twinkle Toes," said Toph.

"You can do it," said Junko.

"I believe in you," said Katara.

"Just go out there and believe in yourself," said Aerrow.

Aang smiled, happy to know that his friends were showing their support for him in a time of uncertainty. With his mind set, the boy set out for the balcony with Piper. The girl got her crystals ready and cast the beam to the dimension stone where it created the giant portal in the sky. The _Condor_ flew into the portal, and the swirling energy vanished in a flash when the ship was inside.

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><p>Back in Atmos, the parallel portal opened up with a huge flash and let the <em>Condor<em> come out. The portal closed behind the ship once its job was finished. The Storm Hawks could see that they were in a part of the sky where there were no visible terras anywhere.

Piper then set her face in determination as she was now going to attempt what she had just learned about the dimension stone. A feeling of anxiety washed over her as she hoped that this would not lead to anything disastrous for her or her friends. Taking in a deep breath, she turned to the Avatar and said, "Okay, this is it, Aang. Now I need you to hang on to me and focus on one place in your world where we should go."

Aang felt just as nervous as his friend, but he gathered his courage and grabbed onto Piper's arm. He knew that it was his duty as the Avatar to protect people and he would not leave out anyone so close to him, and he already felt so close to the people of Atmos. "I'm ready," he said.

The crystal mage nodded her head and activated her Binding crystals, making them glow in front of the dimension stone. Meanwhile, Aang closed his eyes and thought as hard as he could about one place while trying not to think of anything else. The beam shot from Piper's hands and activated the dimension stone to create the large portal.

Aerrow saw the whole thing from the windshield and set his mind with a course of action. "Well, here goes nothing," he said. "Stork, full speed ahead!"

The carrier pilot complied with his Sky Knight and flew the _Condor_ into the portal. Once the entire ship was inside, the portal closed and took everyone onboard to wherever the exit would lead.

* * *

><p>The portal in the Avatar's world opened with a flash in the sky, and the <em>Condor<em> quickly flew out and resumed its course once the portal had closed. Everyone could see they were now in a land with mountains as far as the eye could see. All over the land the mountains looked gigantic and would make anyone think they would keep growing until they would skewer the heavens.

Piper looked around with hopeful eyes. The whole idea seemed a little doubtful to her, and she wished that her friend had sent them all to a familiar place. "Aang, do you know where we are?" she asked.

The boy Avatar looked out over the balcony and scanned the area in front of him. It took him a while to look past the mountains but there he saw one mountain-like landscape that had many buildings all around it. Aang's eyes lit up as he knew this was the place he had thought about when Piper made the portal.

"It worked!" Aang shouted with glee. "That's Omashu! I had it in my mind the whole time and the portal took us here!"

Piper smiled to see that the plan had worked. She then looked back at the windshield and gave everyone inside the bridge a thumbs up to indicate that it went smoothly. Everyone cheered with praise when they knew what it meant, and so the _Condor_ was flown into Omashu.

* * *

><p>In the city, the group had managed to seek an audience with the ruler, King Bumi. After a long time of discussing what needed to be done, Bumi sat up from his throne and kept his stance still despite his age.<p>

The group all waited patiently for the king's response, but it was hard mostly for Starling to take him seriously since all she could look at and think about were Bumi's strange-looking eyes.

Bumi then smiled at the group and nodded with approval to show everyone that he would help them in their cause, and the group all smiled back. Now it would be on to the next destination.

* * *

><p>A portal opened up close to Terra Gale in Atmos, and the <em>Condor<em> raced out and into another portal created by Piper with Aang's assistance. Down on the terra, the Resistance leader, Wren, was baffled by the ship's sudden appearance and disappearance, but then resumed his work.

* * *

><p>Down in the Southern Water Tribe, the group was now explaining what was going on to Water Chief Hakoda, Bato and Pakku. Both Sokka and Katara knew that their own father would not be able to turn down such a request coming from them.<p>

After the discussion was done, all three men nodded and bowed to the Storm Hawks, meaning they would gladly assist them in what they were trying to achieve. The Sky Knight squadron smiled and bowed in respect back to the Water Tribe men while Sokka and Katara both embraced their father, glad to know that they would be together in such a hard time.

* * *

><p>Back in Atmos high above Terra Neon, another portal opened up with the <em>Condor<em> exiting while everyone on the terra was busily enjoying themselves with the many attractions and rides. Finn looked down longingly at Terra Neon, hoping he would have another chance to go there before all the madness took place. But his dreams were shattered when the ship flew into another portal and disappeared along with it.

* * *

><p>The <em>Condor<em> landed in the Northern Water Tribe, which was much larger in comparison to its sister tribe in the south. The Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group were now speaking their case with the tribe's leader, Water Chief Arnook.

It was now the Water Chief's time to speak with his followers while the others waited patiently for their answer. From what they could tell, the Northern Water Tribe didn't appear willing to side with strange people from another world but they hoped for the best.

When the Water Chief and the others were finished, they all smiled and nodded to show they would support anyone who was sided with the Avatar. The Storm Hawks smiled back and bowed in respect.

But when Piper came back up, she seemed to breathe heavily like she had been jogging for miles. She decided to keep this a secret from the others just long enough until they were finished.

* * *

><p>The <em>Condor<em> rushed out of another portal that opened up near Terra Blizzaris. The two Blizzarians of the squadron the Absolute Zeroes, Suzi-Lu and Billy Rex, looked up to see the ship pass right over their terra where it vanished into another portal.

* * *

><p>The group had entered Ba Sing Se to seek an audience with the Earth King. Zuko's uncle, Iroh, had managed to join the group to hear them out.<p>

It took a long time for the Storm Hawks to explain, but then the Earth King immediately stood up and smiled. He knew all about the Storm Hawks the last time they came to his kingdom and they had defended his people from near-certain disaster in his time of need. So he bowed down and nodded his head to show that the Earth Kingdom would gladly help them.

The Storm Hawks all shouted with praise while Zuko spoke to his uncle about what needed to be done. In return, the old man hugged his nephew while the Fire Lord hugged back. Zuko already knew that Iroh would help his friends in Atmos.

After everyone was done cheering, they were about to leave the palace when Piper put her hand over her stomach and breathed heavily. Aerrow took notice of this and looked at his friend out of concern, wondering if this had something to do with constantly travelling back and forth between the two worlds. He decided to keep a close eye on her in case it got out of hand.

* * *

><p>Everyone was now spending the time crossing through many different portals that led from Atmos to the Avatar's world, trying to gain the support of people in different places and succeeding. The Storm Hawks had managed to travel to many great places in the process: the Northern Air Temple to seek the Mechanist's aid, the Foggy Swamp to speak to the Waterbenders, the Earth Kingdom to find Haru and Tyro, and to Piandao's mansion in the Fire Nation.<p>

All over the world the Storm Hawks were rapidly gaining the help they so desperately needed to save Atmos, and now there was only one place left to travel.

* * *

><p>A portal opened up over the Fire Nation capital, and out came the <em>Condor<em> in all its glory, leaving the portal behind as it closed in a flash of light to brighten the night sky. The mighty ship headed down towards the capital so the Fire Lord could inform his troops of what was to happen. Everyone onboard felt good about what they had accomplished in such a short time—and now all that was left would be to transport their reinforcements into Atmos. It seemed like a difficult task but the Storm Hawks knew there would be a way.

Aerrow looked down at the capital, glad to see it again after his first visit. Radarr had joined the Sky Knight and chirred with delight: the Fire Nation capital looked as grand as ever to him.

"Well, guys," said Aerrow, "I think it's safe to say that we've done it."

"I know," said Sokka. "Who would've thought we would convince everyone we know to come help us in such an unusual way? I mean, it seems crazy, right?"

"I never had any doubts," said Toph. "After all, we are practically the saviours of both our worlds, so it would only be natural that people would come help us if we asked for it."

Katara completely agreed with the girl. "None of this would be possible if it weren't for Aang and Piper—they really came through for us."

The group looked out on the balcony to see their two companions: Aang was overjoyed by their progress, and Piper smiled with him but seemed to feel exhausted. Her legs were shaking and the Binding crystals slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor. After a moment, she finally fainted right on the balcony and made Aang opened his eyes in shock.

"Piper!" Aerrow shouted with concern.

The red-haired teen immediately took action by running out onto the balcony to be with his friend. Wind swept over his face and through his unruly hair as he walked out of the bridge and outside the _Condor_, but the chills were nothing compared to the worries going through his mind. Once on the balcony, Aerrow knelt down and held Piper in his arms.

"Piper, are you all right?" said Aerrow.

The crystal mage opened her eyes and felt dizzy, stars spinning around her head. "I'm fine," she said. "Really, I am."

Aerrow could tell she was lying, from the way she breathed heavily back in Ba Sing Se. Aang was standing next to both of them and he, too, felt concerned for his friend's well-being.

"She's probably tired from all the portals she's created," said the Avatar.

"I think you're right," said Aerrow. "I had no idea this would put such strain on her body." He then turned on his earpiece and hailed his carrier pilot. "Stork, we've gotta land soon! Piper needs to regain her strength."

"_It won't be long now,"_ said Stork on the receiving line.

The red-haired teen held the girl close to him as the _Condor_ descended on the Fire Nation capital and headed straight for the palace. The ship deployed its landing gear in a safe area and slowly touched down on the ground where its engines powered down. Everyone soon came down when the ramp was lowered. Aerrow, Piper and Aang brought up the rear with the two boys holding the girl up on both sides, having her arms slung around their bodies.

"Is she going to be okay?" asked Starling.

Piper groaned and stood up on herself after regaining enough strength to walk. "Don't worry about me," she said. "I'm a lot tougher than I look."

"Piper," said Aerrow, "why didn't you say anything about this? If you were losing strength while casting each portal, we could've easily stopped until you recovered."

"I didn't want to worry all of you. And besides, I really didn't know myself until we got to the Northern Water Tribe, and I knew we had to complete our task as soon as possible. I guess using the dimension stone is more tiring than I thought."

"But, Piper," said Junko, "you could've been seriously hurt. What difference would it have made if you weren't around?"

"I'll be fine," Piper said coolly. "After a little rest, I'll be good to go."

"Well, it's about time you showed up," said another voice.

Everyone turned their backs to see someone appear with a group of Fire Nation soldiers. Walking in the centre was the one who called out to them, and they all saw that it was Zuko's beloved girlfriend, Mai.

"Glad to see you're back," Mai said apathetically. "I was bored with having to look after things while you were gone."

The Fire Lord immediately ran up to the girl and placed a kiss on her lips. A few seconds later, they broke apart and look lovingly at each other.

"I wasn't worried at all," said Zuko. "I knew you would be a great leader."

"You know me too well." Mai looked past him and saw the others standing next to the _Condor_. "So, do you want to clue me in as to why they're here?"

"It's a long story," Zuko answered. "We'll discuss it later while Piper regains her strength."

"I'm fine, Zuko," Piper retorted.

Aang looked worriedly at the girl, thinking she was out of her mind for having said that remark. "Piper, are you sure you're up for this? We still have to transport everyone to Atmos and already you're looking light-headed."

Aerrow came up shaking his head. "It's too risky," he said. "I won't allow her to jeopardize herself for the sake of our mission."

"But, Aerrow—" said Piper.

"No buts, Piper!" the Sky Knight argued. "The safety of my team always comes first."

The group then felt disillusioned by Aerrow's words. Everything they had done would now be in vain, and now they felt there would be no hope for Atmos.

"Then how are we supposed to stop the Dark Ace?" said Katara.

"I'm not sure," replied Piper. "If only we had something I could use to amplify my strength, then there wouldn't be any need to worry."

Finn rubbed his chin while thinking back on all the missions he completed with his team. It then struck him that there was one time when his enemies had become so powerful. "Uh," he said, "do you mean like if you had one of those enhancer stone thingies?"

Piper froze in place and realized that was exactly what she needed. Her face brightened up as she shouted, "That's it! Finn, you're a genius!"

"Wow," said Toph. "I never thought I'd hear those words in the same sentence."

The blonde sharpshooter grunted, feeling insulted by the comment. True, he thought, he never came up with smart ideas, but he didn't think that what Toph said was necessary.

"If I combine my Binding power with an enhancer stone, I'll have unlimited strength so I can create portals without getting tired!" said Piper. "Or maybe, I could even create a multitude of portals around here so everyone can come to Atmos without us bringing them back!"

"It sounds great," said Katara. "So where can we find one of those stones?"

Aerrow frowned as he would once again have to be the bearer of bad news. "Unfortunately," he said, "they were all destroyed when we stopped the Cyclonians from using them. And there's only one person who knows how to make them: Master Cyclonis."

Sokka threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Oh, that's just perfect!" he said. "Just when we thought we had the solution to our problems, it turns out to be much worse. I mean, it's not like we can just go back to Atmos, crack Cyclonis out of that crystal and say, 'Hi, there. Sorry that we beat you up and that you got frozen by your right-hand man, but could you please tell us how to make a crystal so we can stop him?'"

"Yeah," added Stork. "I imagine that Cyclonis won't be on good speaking terms with us."

"Well," said Starling, "if I know Cyclonis, she would've had to make a record of how she made the enhancer stone."

Piper contemplated that idea. "Maybe you're right. She would've had to share it with someone on her side who would have a lot of crystals and a vast knowledge of how to use them."

"Gundstaff?" Aerrow said while nodding in comprehension.

"Bingo!"

The Sky Knight looked at the others with their next plan set. "So now we know how we're going to do this. We leave as soon as Piper recovers."

Everyone else nodded with agreement. Now they were on to the next phase of their mission, and they would have to see it through not only for Piper's safety but also for the sake of Atmos.

* * *

><p>Back in Atmos, everything was going normally for every citizen on each terra. They were thinking that it was going to end up being like any other day of their lives, when suddenly a red light flashed across the sky. Everyone thought that it was only happening on the terra where they lived, but they didn't realize that it was happening all across Atmos, so everyone was witnessing it.<p>

The light continued to crackle like it was being generated by the crystals everyone used in their day-to-day lives. Everyone thought the sight was both beautiful and mysterious at the same time. But then their thoughts turned to fear when the energy shifted into an image of the Dark Ace. All of Atmos knew this person to be the most deadly warrior in Cyclonia so they all gasped with horror.

The Dark Ace looked down on every terra like he was about to crush every person like an ant. "Greetings, people of Atmos," he bellowed. "As some of you may not know, I have returned. Cyclonis is gone, and now I have become all-powerful.

"I speak to you now to offer you your only salvation. If you pledge yourselves to me and my associates, then you will be spared a most terrible fate and live on as our loyal subjects. If you do not, then I will rain down my ultimate power that will wipe out every single terra until you all see the error of your ways!"

The people were left speechless by the display and would not move from where they all stood. They didn't know whether this was for real or not but they couldn't help but be afraid.

"And for those of you who don't believe me," the Dark Ace continued, "here's a little demonstration of my power!"

The man moved to the side to reveal a small, remote terra standing amongst the clouds that no one had ever seen before, so they could only guess that it was uninhabited. As soon as he was ready, the Dark Ace lifted up his hand and charged red energy that formed into a giant ball almost twice his size. A smirk formed on his lips as he was going to take pleasure in doing this. He grunted and threw the ball from his hand that went straight for its target.

Everyone watched as the attack collided with the terra and made a huge explosion that created a blinding flash and forced everyone to shield their eyes. When the light subsided, everyone gasped in disbelief when they saw the terra had been completely destroyed. All that remained of it was the smouldering wreckage of the stone.

The Dark Ace's face came back into the image as he said, "Now that you've witnessed what I can do, I shall give you twenty-four hours to give me your reply. I do hope that it will be the right one." He was about to leave when he almost forgot one small detail. "Oh, and if any Sky Knight squadron tries to stop us, especially the Storm Hawks, then your destruction will most definitely be assured!" Maniacal laughter was exhaled from his mouth before the image faded out of every terra.

When it was over, every civilian went into a panic and ran as quickly as they could back to their homes. They were offered one chance to save themselves or face certain doom—and they all wondered where their saviours were in such a devastating time.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Oh no! Is this the end of all life on Atmos as we know it?<p>

Aerrow: No, it's not!

Piper: Not as long as we have anything to do with it!

Dark Ace: Storm Hawks? I warned you! *gets ready to charge a ball of energy*

Aerrow & Piper: O_OU *gulp nervously*

BlueTiger321: Hey! This won't happen as long as I'm here!

Dark Ace: *groans and gets rid of energy ball* Party pooper!

BlueTiger321: Well folks, stay tuned for the next chapter, which I'm sure will knock your socks off! So, until next time...

Aerrow & Piper: Read and review!


	17. Chapter 17: A Giant Problem

Chapter 17: A Giant Problem

BlueTiger321: Hi, everyone! So now it's on with the next chapter. I'll bet some of you are wondering what's going to happen just by looking at the title. Well, I can assure you that it's something that you'll never expect. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Night time had already settled into the Fire Nation. It was during that time that Zuko explained to his troops about the crisis in Atmos and he requested them all to come to the assistance of every innocent person. Without hesitation, all the soldiers willingly accepted the task given to them by the Fire Lord after everything he had worked so hard for to change the Fire Nation. They would follow any order from Zuko no matter how strange it would seem since they were so grateful to him for ending the war and restoring glory to their land.<p>

The group currently stood at the base of the _Condor_ after their business in this world was concluded. Piper had regained most of her strength while they were in the palace so she would be able to transport them back to Atmos to begin their next task—create an enhancer stone. This way she could get everyone in this world who would join them to stop the Dark Ace without the crystal mage losing her energy.

Zuko and Mai stood a few feet from everyone else to say goodbye before the teenage boy would join his friends back to the parallel world. Just like before, he would depend on his girlfriend to look after things in his kingdom while he would go off and help his friends. Mai was displaying her usual apathetic façade to show that she had little interest in what she was asked to do, but secretly she felt saddened that she would be separated from her love once more just after they reunited. She hoped that he wouldn't have to leave but she understood that he was doing this to help others—and she knew that was just the kind of person Zuko was.

"I hope you'll be okay," said Zuko.

"If you're already worrying about me, then there must be something seriously wrong with you," said Mai. "I was running things around here just fine while you were gone, so I think I can handle it a little longer. But promise me that I'll be able to be with you in that other world."

The Fire Lord gave the girl an odd stare. "You actually want to join us in this battle?"

"Why not?" replied Mai. "It might be the one thing that'll keep me from getting bored. Plus, I won't have to worry about you since I know that I'll be there to have your back."

Zuko only smiled, knowing that he wasn't going to win this debate. His girlfriend was a highly-skilled fighter and could handle herself well in combat. And he knew she was right about one thing; she would always be there for him in case it would get dangerous, and he would also do the same for her.

"Hey, Zuko!" shouted Aerrow. "We've gotta get going!"

The Fire Lord looked at the Sky Knight and said, "Just a second!" He turned back to Mai, leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Don't worry—we'll be together again soon. Just wait here for the signal."

Mai wasn't quite sure what her boyfriend meant by those words but she nodded and watched him walk to the _Condor_.

Once the group was back together, they headed up the ramp and into the ship. Stork was already at the controls where he pulled up the ramp, started the engines, and took the _Condor_ to the sky.

Piper walked onto the balcony and created a portal from the dimension stone. The ship flew directly into it and vanished right before Mai's eyes once the portal closed.

When she was by herself, Mai looked up at the starry sky with hope-filled eyes and she prayed that all would be well for the one she loved. _Be careful, Zuko_, she thought.

* * *

><p>The portal in Atmos opened up wide in an afternoon sky, and out came the <em>Condor<em>. The ship resumed a normal speed once it returned and the portal behind it was sealed.

A sense of fortitude filled up inside everyone as they would now have to make another trip across Atmos just to complete their quest. To some of the Storm Hawks, they felt it would be an easy expedition since they knew that it would not involve any kind of encounter with any of the Dark Ace's forces. But Stork already knew that things would not be this easy for them so he piloted the ship with carefulness.

Piper rejoined everyone in the bridge when she was finished, shaking her head with worry. "Sorry, guys," she said, "but I'm still a little woozy from making all those portals so I couldn't concentrate on bringing us to Gundstaff's house."

"It's okay," said Aerrow. "As soon as we get a fix on our location, we can be there in no time."

Sokka felt a little curious about what they were doing now. "So, exactly where are we supposed to go?"

"We're going to see Gundstaff," replied Piper.

"He knows pretty much all there is about crystals," said Junko.

"Gundstaff should have some knowledge about how to make an enhancer stone," said Aerrow, "and that'll give Piper the strength she needs to bring everyone from the other world to Atmos."

Starling then smirked at Aang and the others. "Plus, you'll be in for quite a surprise when you see him."

The Avatar's group just blinked in confusion. It wasn't what Starling said to them but they way she said it that made them feel a little apprehensive about meeting Gundstaff.

Aang thought the best way would be to ask what she meant. "So, um, what is this Gundstaff person like?"

Finn decided to answer the question. "Well," he said, "let's just say that he's a 'huge' crystal fanatic!" A snicker came out of his mouth at the pun he made, so he thought of another one. "He's the kind of person who 'walks tall'!" The snickering then turned into full laughter as Finn was the only one thinking his jokes were funny. "And he's one of those people who likes to 'think big'!"

"Finn, that's enough!" Piper said in a demanding tone.

The sharpshooter quieted down and saw that no one else was laughing along with him. From his point of view he could see the others just shaking their heads disapprovingly at his sense of humour.

"That was actually kind of pathetic, Finn," said Katara.

"Yeah," agreed Sokka. "Even I thought those were lame."

Finn scoffed the comments and crossed his arms. "Man, you guys must really hate jokes."

"Oh, don't get us wrong: we love jokes," said Toph. "We just don't love _your_ jokes." Laughter filled the girl's ears as everyone except Finn took joy in the comment. Then she thought of a follow-up. "Then again, Finn, you actually have to be funny to make jokes."

The entire ship was bursting with laughter at the blind girl's remark. Only Finn was not enjoying himself for he was the one being made fun of, narrowing his eyes and turning away from his friends.

The laughter soon died down and everyone took in deep breaths to regain their composure. Making jokes about Finn was a good pastime, but they had to put their focus back on their mission.

"All right," said Aerrow. "Stork, do you have the coordinates of our location?"

The Merb looked at the dials next to him. "Sure thing," he said. "We should be—"

Suddenly, something hit the windshield of the _Condor_ hard and caused Stork to temporarily lose control. He screamed with fright while he tried to regain the ship's steering, causing everyone else onboard to scream as well when they were thrown to the floor.

Aerrow landed with his stomach hitting the floor and Radarr, Sokka and Katara falling on his back. The two siblings immediately stood back up and gave the Sky Knight a hand in getting back on his feet while Radarr remained on the floor, his head spinning and his eyeballs rolling around in their sockets.

"What did we hit?" asked Aerrow.

"Actually," said Stork, "it's more like something hit us." The Merb then pointed to the windshield.

All the others looked in that direction to see a group of beings blocking the view that were the reason Stork lost control of the ship. They were a horde of small yellow crustaceans that flapped in the wind. Some of them even managed to flop off the windshield and back into the skies.

Aang was perplexed by fish ending up in the sky. In his world, fish always came from the water. "What are those things?" he asked.

"Those are cloud krill," replied Piper. "They're mostly hunted by sky sailors so they can be eaten."

"They're really tasty!" said Junko, licking his lips as if he saw a huge feast.

"Well," said Aerrow, "let's just be thankful that it was cloud krill that got us and not something even worse."

Stork had flipped a switch at the controls that activated the ship's windshield wipers. "Yeah," he said, "especially since it's not—" The Merb never got to finish what he was saying when the ship's alarms started flashing, casting the bridge with red and blue light from the sirens.

"What now?" Katara said worriedly.

Stork then looked at the radar to see something approaching the _Condor_. From what he could tell, whatever was coming straight for them seemed much larger in comparison to the ship. "Uh, guys?" he said with wide eyes. "There's something coming that's _really_ big!"

Everyone looked out the windshield to look for the cause of the alarm, and what was outside made the Storm Hawks stand still with expressions of disbelief plastered all over their faces.

A giant creature as big as any terra came out of the clouds and swallowed the cloud krill in one gulp with its enormous mouth. Its body was covered with jagged scales that looked like rock formations and its eyes were sky blue and almost twice the size of the _Condor_. Four tentacles were on each of its sides that looked like the legs of an octopus since each of them were covered with suction cups at the tips. It let out a huge roar that shook the entire ship and it showed its gaping purple mouth.

Stork swallowed nervously as he saw the one thing that truly left him paralyzed with fear a long time ago—the creature that nearly destroyed his ship and made him suffer from post-traumatic sky shock. "N-n-n-no way!" he uttered.

Aang was also wide-eyed: he had never seen something so huge in his life. "What is that?" he said.

"The Leviathan!" said Aerrow. "I never thought we'd ever see it again."

"The Leviathan?" said Starling. "I thought that was only a legend."

"Oh, it's real, all right," said Stork. His entire body was now like a quivering mass of jelly. "It almost ate my home. But I won't let that happen again."

"I think Stork's right," said Aerrow. "There's no way we can fight it like this. So our best chance is to avoid it altogether. If we try to hide amongst the clouds, maybe it won't even notice us."

The Merb was already getting the idea, so he gently steered the _Condor_ over to a large cloud to avoid detection. But Appa, still on the runway, was already aware of the Leviathan and let out a furious growl at it.

Aang could already see what his sky bison was doing. "Appa, no!" he shouted.

But it was too late; the sound carried across the sky, and the Leviathan turned around to hear it. Looking up, the creature narrowed its eyes immediately when it spotted Appa growling at it while the ship was still trying to blend into the clouds. It then sent up two of its tentacles to strike the ship as it roared furiously.

Stork screamed when he saw the huge tentacles about to crush the ship, so he turned hard to port and swung the _Condor_ out of the way. The attack missed but everyone on the ship was now screaming with panic when they were hurled around the bridge from the sudden turn.

Appa had managed to hang on to the runway when the _Condor_ tilted, and he set himself right again when the ship was straightened out. He resumed his growling and narrowed his eyes in anger as he continued glaring at the Leviathan like it was the Sandbenders that captured him and sold him to a Fire Nation circus.

"It looks like he's spotted us," said Aerrow.

"Yeah, so now what?" said Finn.

"We've got no other choice but to face it head-on. Finn! Junko! Get to the cannons and start blasting!"

The sharpshooter and the Wallop both headed for the cannons mounted inside the bridge and let them extend past the downed windows. They then took aim and saw the Leviathan still roaring in their sights. Two more tentacles were about to come up and strike the ship when Finn and Junko both shouted and fired shots.

The blue crystal pulses directly hit the tentacles and caused them to be charged with blue bolts of electricity. The Leviathan screamed as the shots were strong enough to cause it minor damage, and more shots were coming for it from Finn and Junko that struck its body. It had gotten so bad that the beast was forced to turn around and fly away from the ship.

Both Finn and Junko shouted with triumph when the plan to get the Leviathan to flee had worked, and everyone else on the _Condor_ joined them in their glory just when the alarms finally silenced. It had been a rough entrance upon coming back from the Avatar's world, but they all managed to come out unscathed.

"Yes!" shouted Junko.

"Chica-cha!" said Finn.

"Are there anymore strange this in this world we should know about?" asked Katara.

Aerrow thought about it for a moment and could not think of another reason. "No, I'd say this pretty much covers them all."

Piper stopped her shouting when she noticed that the Leviathan was now making a course for someplace in the distance. "Uh, guys?" she said worriedly. "I don't think we're quite done yet."

The Sky Knight got up to the windshield with Radarr joining him, trying to see what the newest alarm was. "What's wrong?"

The girl pointed down to the Leviathan and everyone saw that it was now enraged and heading straight for a terra that looked to be covered with huge plains and a lone city.

Finn got a closer look through the targeting reticule and he immediately recognized the terra: the one place where he truly felt like a hero to the people. Getting back up, he turned to the others inside and shouted, "That thing's headed for Terra Vapos!" To Finn, this terra was very important to him since he was treated so generously by the people.

Now Starling was truly bewildered when she heard the news. "Wait! So Vapos is real too?"

"It is," said Aerrow. "But now's not the time for debates; we've gotta stop that thing from destroying Vapos!"

Finn and Junko came back into the bridge along with the cannons. The Storm Hawks minus Stork, Starling and the Avatar's group all went to the hangar bay where the giant doors leading to the runway were already opened and Aang and his cohorts went to Appa. They would have to do whatever they could to keep the Leviathan away from Terra Vapos before any innocent person got hurt.

As soon as Aang was at the reins and everyone he knew was settled in, he said, "Yip yip!"

The command was given and the sky bison took to the air and gave the Sky Knight squadron enough room to drive off with their sky rides.

"Okay, team!" shouted Aerrow. "We've gotta lead the Leviathan away from the terra, so do whatever you can to make yourself a more likely target!"

Piper, Starling and Junko all nodded at the order, but Finn and Radarr seemed apprehensive by it. They had already been inside the Leviathan once before, and they definitely did not want it to happen again.

The sky rides were activated, and so the Storm Hawks and the Interceptor drove out of the hangar bay and converted their rides to flight mode. They joined Aang and the others and flew down to Terra Vapos to stop the giant beast.

Down on the terra, the people of Vapos were currently running in the streets of their city—fashioned in the style of ancient Greek architecture—as they all saw the Leviathan headed towards them, its furious eyes looking like it would destroy anything in its path after the battle it endured with the _Condor_. All the civilians never felt so afraid when they saw the creature and they hoped that their saviour, the Domo, would come to protect them.

The Leviathan narrowed its eyes and roared as it came for the terra just as the group flew right behind it. The beast was so preoccupied with its flying that it didn't pay heed to what the people behind it were about to do.

Aerrow then stood up and got on the wings of his Skimmer, both daggers drawn and ignited in his hands. "Ready, Piper?" he said.

The girl brought out her Binding crystals and nodded in response. "Ready," she said and directed the crystals to the Sky Knight. "Feather's Flight!"

A yellow beam was shot out of Piper's hands and bathed Aerrow in its aura. The red-haired teen then seemed to float in midair from the power he now possessed, so Radarr jumped out of the cockpit and took control of the sky ride.

Aerrow flew in close to the back of the Leviathan's head, so he immediately concentrated hard and let the powers of his weapon's striker crystals cast a blue aura around his body. Raising his hands, he seemed to grow a pair of blue wings that came down and unleashed his Lightning Claw attack.

A large blue pulse struck the back of the Leviathan. It didn't cause the creature any damage but it made it turn around and face the group. The attack had only annoyed the beast, but now its focus was turned away from Terra Vapos. It exhaled another roar and brought up its tentacles, ready to strike.

The Binding soon faded from Aerrow and he landed on top of his Skimmer when Radarr flew under him. A laugh came out of his mouth as he had the Leviathan right where he wanted it. "That's right! Come and get us!" he said provokingly.

The Leviathan had complied with the red-haired teen as it roared and chased after the group. Not wanting to be caught, Aerrow and the others all flew away from the beast and directed it away from Terra Vapos.

Back on the terra, the civilians saw that they were not about to be destroyed by the creature. They looked to the skies and saw the one person they prayed who would save them. His blonde hair waved in the air and he flew gallantly on his sky ride.

Finn looked down on the terra and waved to the people to let them know that the Domo was there for them. This, in turn, made all the civilians shout with praise.

Eventually, everyone else joined in aggravating the Leviathan: Finn fired bolts from his mounted crossbow, Piper and Katara used Waterbending from the clouds to rain down icicles near its eyes, Junko fired missiles from the inside of his Skimmer's wings, Aang sent air blasts from his hands that hit the creature near its eyes, Starling used her nunchucks to fire purple crystal pulses, and Zuko shot bolts of lightning that struck the tentacles.

Aerrow got up from his Skimmer again and turned around to look the Leviathan staring right at him. Putting his hands together, he used his Firebending to generate a large flame between his palms that kept getting larger. From his point of view, he could see the beast was growing angrier by the second and he thought that it would only be a little longer until they would finally be rid of it. The boy Sky Knight then shouted and directed his hands forward to unleash the giant ball of fire that hit the Leviathan right between the eyes.

The creature roared furiously as the flames burned against its armoured skin. Now it was truly getting flustered with the constant attacks it was receiving.

Soon, everyone flew around the Leviathan in open sky when it was far enough away from Terra Vapos. Now they were all wondering what they were going to do next.

"We've got him on the run," said Piper.

"So now how are we gonna get away from it?" said Aang.

Just then, everyone heard a loud sneeze and they all turned to see Junko was the cause of it. His eyes were once again all red and puffy and he sniffled from the mucus dripping from his nostrils. "Uh oh," he said. "I think we've got company."

Sokka put his hands in his head in worry. "Oh no!" he said. "Don't tell me those Murk Raiders are back!"

Finn looked around the sky, and then he paused and went wide-eyed in shock to see what else caused Junko's allergies. "No, but something just as bad!" he replied.

Aerrow looked out and both he and Radarr let out yelps of fright. "Sky sharks!"

Everyone gasped and saw a swarm of sky sharks headed straight for them. They looked like regular sharks except their bodies were purple, their eyes were deep red, and they had the ability to fly. The sky sharks let out a screech and showed their rows of sharp teeth as they had found something to eat: Aerrow and his friends.

The red-haired teen cursed himself for being careless in not thinking that sky sharks would be around to feast on whatever cloud krill the Leviathan didn't eat, and now he and his friends were going to pay for this mistake. But then he narrowed his eyes and said, "All right, guys! Looks like we've got some new playmates!"

By Aerrow's command, the other Storm Hawks broke off along with Starling and the Avatar's group to fight the sky sharks as well as keep the Leviathan at bay. It was now turning into a much deadlier task than any of them had ever thought.

Aerrow went first by blasting two sky sharks with air from his palms that sent them crashing into another pair. Piper used her water crystal to blast away the beasts with a huge gush. Finn fired a volley of bolts from his crossbow that struck the sky sharks and knocked them out but only momentarily.

Junko saw one sky shark coming right for him, its jaws snapping as it drew near. Suddenly, the Wallop sniffed as he could feel another sneeze approaching. He couldn't take it anymore so he let it out and blew away the sky shark.

The Avatar's group was busy dealing with the sky sharks revolving around Appa; each member hitting one with their Bending skills. But Toph was left defenceless as she had no earth to bend, so Sokka was there to protect her with his sword skills and his boomerang.

No matter how many times everyone tried, the sky sharks kept coming back angrier than ever. They were soon becoming overwhelmed with the horde along with the Leviathan, which let out another roar as it closed in on the group.

"There's no way we can take them all down!" said Starling.

"Man," said Finn, "it'd take a miracle to save us now!"

The sky sharks were about to close in on their targets when they were dispersed by a crystal pulse. The resulting hit sent bolts of electricity coursing throughout their bodies and made them screech in agony. More shots quickly came at them until the sky sharks finally flew away into the clouds.

Aerrow was wondering who fired off those shots since he ordered Stork to get away from the Leviathan. That's when he heard a horn blaring and made him see who fired the shots.

Everyone else curiously turned around and saw an airship coming through the clouds that looked like a regular ship. On the deck were figures that looked to be half-man/half-fish called Aquanosians with gills around their necks and their four-fingered webbed hands and four-toed webbed feet. The Storm Hawks and Starling smiled with relief as they knew who was aboard the ship.

"It's the _SkyQuod_!" said Piper, referring to the name of the ship.

"Ahoy, mateys!" said a voice in a Scottish accent.

The _SkyQuod_ lowered itself to show the one at the steering wheel. It was a tall, muscular Aquanosian who had blue skin with dark blue hair and a matching beard. His body was covered in a brown suit that had armour plates in various places, and the left shoulder plate had a blue ship's anchor insignia emblazoned in the centre to show he was the Sky Knight of his squadron. The man brought his lips into a smile as his yellow eyes looked at his fellow Sky Knights.

"Tritonn!" said Aerrow. "You showed up just in the nick of time."

The Aquanosian laughed mightily and said, "Well, laddie, me squad was just in the neighbourhood and I thought you could use a hand."

Sokka was a bit freaked out by the sight of how Tritonn and his team all looked. "Who's this?" he asked.

"This is Tritonn and his Sky Knight squadron, the Neck Deeps," replied Starling. "They're here to help."

"Uh, guys?" said Finn. "I hate to break up this reunion, but have you all noticed that we've got a giant problem on our hands?" The sharpshooter pointed back to show the Leviathan in the distance.

Tritonn smirked at the beast. "You leave him to us," he said and steered the ship skyward.

Everyone else watched as the _SkyQuod_ faced off against the Leviathan. Aerrow thought that if this were a contest of size then the Leviathan would win, but he knew that Tritonn would definitely have something in store for the beast.

"Ready the secret weapon, boys!" ordered Tritonn.

The Neck Deeps all busily got to work and brought up a large cannon from the bottom of the ship onto the deck. The Avatar's group stood watching with curiosity but also worry since they thought nothing could ever break through the creature's armoured skin after everything they tried. But Aerrow could already tell what Tritonn was planning.

Meanwhile, the Leviathan opened up its gaping mouth to let out another roar and flailed its tentacles as it was about to strike.

Tritonn could see this was the perfect time to attack as the creature revealed its only weak spot. "Fire!" he shouted.

A large cannon ball was fired from the weapon and headed right for the Leviathan's open mouth. When the cannon ball entered, the beast closed its mouth and could feel it explode. A pale green smoke seeped out of its mouth as its eyes turned red. The Leviathan shook its head like it was in pain from the vile substance that sloshed around its mouth. It could finally take no more and exhaled the rest of the smoke. Having taken enough torture, the Leviathan roared and flew away from the group and out of sight.

Aerrow smiled, knowing full well that the cannon ball was filled with the only thing that could repel the Leviathan: the Skyside Shanty's Signature Extra-Potent Quadruple Malt Vinegar. _Only Junko could stand that stuff_, he thought.

Everyone shouted with glee as they had accomplished another unorthodox task. The Neck Deeps cheered along with them, and Tritonn smiled but then changed his face to a stern look as he would now have the chance to discuss why he was really here.

* * *

><p>The group, along with the Neck Deeps, had landed on Terra Vapos to make sure that the citizens were all right after the Leviathan's attack. Finn felt especially glad for Vapos as this had marked his third time of saving it from destruction.<p>

Everyone stood before the palace steps with the people of Vapos crowding around them as they waited for the ruler to arrive. Their attention then turned forward to the entrance as an old man stepped out dressed in a red and white robe, sandals and a golden crown. His face was wrinkled and covered with a white beard, and he walked with a wooden cane that had a red crystal on top while he limped forward on shaking legs. His brown eyes narrowed as he got closer to see who had come to visit.

Finn smiled and stared at the ruler of Vapos. "King Agar," he said. "It's nice to see ya again!"

The king's face brightened when he recognized the voice. "O, Great Domo!" he said and turned to face the one in front of him. "You have saved us again. You truly are a noble warrior." What King Agar didn't realize was that he was actually staring at Sokka while he spoke.

The Water Tribe boy had a confused look on his face. "Uh, hi?" he said. "This is actually my first time here, so I have no idea what you're talking about."

Finn knew that the king's eyesight was poor so he walked up in front of Sokka. "Hey," he said. "Well, y'know, there's nothing I wouldn't do for ya! Whenever there's trouble, you can bet that the Domo will always be there." He turned his head and winked at one of the girl's standing in the distance, and she batted her eyes prettily.

Piper let out a breath of annoyance from Finn's remark. It was true that he was a hero to these people, but she felt his behaviour was rather unprofessional and childish.

"We're glad that you're all safe," said Aerrow. "But I just can't believe that we'd ever see the Leviathan again."

"Believe it, laddie," said Tritonn. "That beast will always be terrorizin' anyone who crosses its path." The Sky Knight was then brought off topic when he remembered why he was here. "It was just pure luck that we found ya and sent it runnin' off. But that's not why we be here. I've been searchin' all over for ya, Storm Hawks."

"You have?" asked Piper. "Why?"

"I tried hailin' ya by radio, but we got nothin', so we set out to see what ye be doin' about the Dark Ace."

The red-haired teen was taken aback by Tritonn's words. "Wait," he said. "How did you know about the Dark Ace?"

The Aquanosian Sky Knight just folded his arms. "Who _doesn't_ know about him?" Tritonn was waiting for some kind of response, but all he could see was looks of confusion on the Storm Hawks and their allies. "Ya mean, you don't know?"

"Know what?" asked Junko.

Tritonn walked past the group and looked up at the setting sun in the sky. "The Dark Ace was broadcastin' his ultimatum across every terra. He said that we had twenty-four hours to surrender to him or else he'll reduce everythin' to ashes. But I would rather let the Leviathan swallow me whole than bow down to that lily-livered dog! That's why I've come lookin' for ya, so we could work out a plan to stop 'im once and for all."

"It is true," said King Agar. "That beastly man revealed himself and showed what would happen if we failed to comply. Now we live in fear of what were to happen should it come true."

Aerrow gasped and stared wide-eyed. "This must've happened while we were in Aang's world!"

"Oh no," said Zuko. "That must mean he's about to make his move."

"Which means we have no time to waste," said Katara.

Tritonn put up his webbed hands and said, "Whoa, whoa, hold on there. Now what's all this talk about another world?"

"Well, you see," Aerrow explained, pointing to the Avatar's group, "our friends here are from the world that's parallel to Atmos. We've asked for their help to stop the Dark Ace, and now we're trying to find a way to get every able-bodied person from their world to come here."

"We just need to get a certain crystal to get it to work," said Piper.

"Once that's done, we'll be ready," said Starling.

The Aquanosian stood still while he took in all the information. It was perplexing to him but then he decided it would be best if the Storm Hawks continued with what they were doing. "I don't quite understand it," he said, "but I have faith in you, Storm Hawks. In the meantime, me squad and I will send word to ev'ry Sky Knight squadron in Atmos to join forces so we can take down that cretin and keep our homes safe."

"Thank you, Tritonn," said Aerrow shaking his hand. "You'd be doing us a huge favour. Tell them to meet on Terra Atmosia by this time tomorrow."

"I wish that there was something we could do for you," said King Agar, "but we of Vapos cannot leave our terra for we are mystically bound here. But you and the Domo will be in our prayers."

The citizens of Vapos all let out cheers to show their support, and everyone smiled as they had found a glimmer of hope in the dark times.

* * *

><p>Both the <em>Condor<em> and the _SkyQuod_ flew away from Terra Vapos, headed off in different directions so each member could complete the task they had taken. In their minds, they all thought about what was to come if they continued down this path they had chosen, but then they all reminded themselves what the consequences would be if they were to fail.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Holy moly! Now <em>that<em> was unexpected!

Tritonn: Aye! 'Tis something I hope to never see again.

Starling: Well, at least it made this chapter interesting.

BlueTiger321: It sure did. Anyway folks, the next chapter will have more thrills and chills for you, so please make sure to stay tuned. So, until next time...

Tritonn & Starling: Read and review!


	18. Chapter 18: The Lingering Threat

Chapter 18: The Lingering Threat

BlueTiger321: Hi, folks, and welcome to the next chapter. Before I begin, I think I should let you all know that I probably won't be updating as frequently anymore because I've got other important things to do in the near future, but rest assured that I will do my best to get this story done. So now that our heroes are back in Atmos, it's time to see what they'll be doing next now that they know the Dark Ace has made himself known. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The <em>Condor<em> soared through the skies like a giant metal bird, its exhaust ports spewing crystal energy in a brilliant blue. It had survived another encounter with the Leviathan back on Terra Vapos, and now it was a good distance away from where everyone onboard wanted to go next: Gundstaff's house.

Everyone sat peacefully in the bridge either on the seats placed around the room or on the round couch in the centre. Now that they were aware of the Dark Ace's speech to every person across Atmos, they knew that it would not be long before he would exact his wrath upon every terra or if all the leaders suddenly gave in to his demands and worshipped him as their supreme ruler. Aerrow wished with every fibre of his being that the latter thought would never happen.

"I can't believe this happened while we were gone," said Aang. "The Dark Ace must've really instilled panic in everyone, and we couldn't do anything to stop it. Now I'm starting to wonder if we made the right decision in going to our world and talking the others into coming here."

Katara turned to the boy sitting next to her on the couch with a concerned look in her eyes. "You shouldn't have any doubts about what we did," she said. "We all knew that it'll be our best fighting chance against the Dark Ace and his followers. Besides, who's to say that he won't come to our world next? He certainly had no problem transporting Long Feng and Hama here, so he could do whatever he wants. He needs to be stopped, Aang, and we're not going to give up."

The Avatar thought that everything the Water Tribe girl said was true; it didn't matter if they were here when the Dark Ace made his threats as long as he and his friends would put a halt to his ambitions. "You're right," he said. "Everything we're doing is for the sake of both our worlds. We're not going to let the Dark Ace have his way!"

Aerrow and Piper both heard the conversation while they stood up viewing through the ship's periscopes, and they felt encouraged by Aang's insight about their endeavours. But right now they were scanning the area to find where they needed to go. Through the eyeholes they looked around left and right until Piper finally stopped when she saw the familiar large house.

Bringing up the periscope, the girl said, "We're here!"

"Good," said Aerrow while bringing up his periscope. "Now we can finally get to the bottom of this. Stork, take us in."

"Right," said the Merb.

The _Condor_ swung to its starboard side and headed down to Gundstaff's house. Aerrow realized that it was not too long ago when the Storm Hawks arrived at the house when they returned from the Farside and when Gundstaff gave them the dimension stone. The boy Sky Knight soon thought that Gundstaff would be in for a surprise when he and his team would show the man what they've done with the crystal.

* * *

><p>The group now walked through Gundstaff's house after exiting the ship. The only ones who weren't surprised by its gigantic size were the Storm Hawks and Starling as they already knew about the person who lived there. Aang and his friends all walked around with stunned faces when they saw everything around them was much bigger in proportion; even Appa seemed small in comparison as he travelled behind the group. And now the Avatar's group had finally gotten the meaning of Finn's horrible puns.<p>

Sokka decided he should be the one to ask about this place. "Are you sure this is where we're supposed to be?" he said.

"Positive," replied Junko. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason, except for the fact that we're in a house that looks like it was made for a giant!"

"Well," said Aang, "they did say we were in for a surprise."

"You call _this_ a surprise?" said Toph. "It's more like a death trap waiting to happen for anyone of normal size! Seriously, I wouldn't want anything to squash us."

"Yeah, we used to worry about that too when Gundstaff used to work with the Cyclonians," said Finn.

Sokka stood still in shock when he heard those words. His face soon showed exasperation as he figured that such a large person might still be an enemy. "You think you could've mentioned that _before_ we came here?"

"Actually, they did," said Aang. "Don't you remember they talked about him used to working for the Cyclonis back when we were in Zuko's palace?"

"Relax," said Aerrow. "The point is that Gundstaff is on our side now, so there's nothing to worry about."

"I just hope that we didn't make this trip for nothing," said Starling.

"I don't think so," said Piper. "Gundstaff should have something about how to make an enhancer stone. After all, Cyclonis had such an easy supply right here and she would've had to document it..."

The crystal mage stopped talking when she and everyone else felt a rumble in the floor that was like an earthquake. They all stood their ground but had difficulty as the shaking got more violent. The Storm Hawks and Starling knew that the cause of it was approaching them, so they all looked up at the ceiling to await the one they sought.

Aang and the others also looked up, and they each exhaled gasps of disbelief when they saw Gundstaff tower over them. Momo was so frightened by the sight that he screeched, flew off Aang's shoulders and hid in Appa's saddle.

"Now I've seen everything," said Zuko. All the wonders of this world, seeing the Dark Ace's power, meeting Princess Peregrine and the Oracle, battling the Leviathan and now standing before Gundstaff, had finally made him realize to not expect any more surprises in Atmos.

Gundstaff bent his knees and looked down at the group like they were dolls. "Storm Hawks," he said happily. "What brings you back here?"

"Hi, Gundstaff!" said Aerrow. "Well, we made good use of the dimension stone. As you can see, we've brought back some friends."

The giant man shifted his eyes to see the Avatar's group looking up at him: Aang and Toph smiled and waved to show their politeness, Katara and Zuko both bowed in salute, Sokka kept looking nervous like the man was going to crush him but ended up giving a sheepish smile and waved, and Appa looked up and uttered a growl in response.

"I see," said Gundstaff. "Welcome to my home. I hope that it's to your liking."

"Well, it would be if we were your size," Aang said jokingly.

Aerrow walked up to explain the reason why they came back to see the giant. "Gundstaff, listen," he said. "We've come here because we need to find out something that you might have that's crucial to saving Atmos."

"Really?" replied the man. "And what might that be?"

Piper decided to answer. "We need to see if Cyclonis had ever given you any plans on how to make an enhancer stone."

Gundstaff rubbed his hand over his bearded chin and thought back about all the times when he was an aid to Cyclonia. Master Cyclonis had left with him some blueprints about making crystals, but he wasn't entirely sure if they included the one the Storm Hawks needed. "I think so," he said. "Let me go check."

Everyone watched as the man stood up and walked into his laboratory. From there he headed to a bookshelf and picked up a book that had the Cyclonian insignia on the cover. Gundstaff thought he was going to end up throwing it away but was glad he kept it around in case it would be of some use. It took some time as Gundstaff searched through every page to find the right part, but eventually he stopped and smiled when his eyes read the inscription.

"Here it is!" said the giant as he walked back to the group and held the open book before them on the ground.

Piper looked at the page and read it. Her face brightened up as she saw a diagram of the enhancer stone with the schematic on how to create it. "We did it!" she exclaimed.

The others all shouted out with glee as their task had been completed. Piper, meanwhile, quickly wrote down the blueprint on a notepad so she could have an easier way instead of borrowing the large book.

"All right," said Aerrow as the cheers quieted. "Now it won't be long until we're ready to bring everyone from Aang's world to ours."

Gundstaff looked down at the list of crystals needed to see if they were in his vault. Once he was finished he said, "I have all the crystals to build it, except for one," he said. "I don't have any colossus crystals."

"Colossus crystals?" said Piper.

Sensing the concern in the girl's voice, Katara asked, "Is that a problem?"

"No, it's not. Those crystals can only be found in one place: Terra Wallop."

Junko had brightened up his face upon hearing about his home terra. "That's great!" he said. "Starling said that Wallops are now trusting outsiders, so we should be able to find the crystal without any trouble. And I'll bet that Chief Thrag will be pleased to see me return."

"Then let's not waste any more time," said Aerrow before looking up to the giant. "Gundstaff, do you mind if we use some of the crystals you have that we need?"

"Not at all," replied the man. "Take as much as you like and stop the Dark Ace for good!"

To show that he was serious, Gundstaff walked over to the vault and opened it to reveal his large collection of crystals. Everyone soon ran for it and busily went to work to get what they needed.

* * *

><p>The group had now collected all the crystals they needed from Gundstaff and were now loading them into the <em>Condor<em>. The only crystal they still needed was now in their next destination: Terra Wallop. Everyone in the Atmos knew that the Wallops were strong, aggressive and non-trusting to outsiders, but the Storm Hawks now knew that their joining in stopping Cyclonia had finally changed their behaviour.

Piper very carefully studied the instructions she had written down to make sure they were correct. She knew that combining crystals was a dangerous process and the slightest mistake could have catastrophic results, so she had to be prepared when the time came to make the enhancer stone.

"Everything's onboard," said Stork.

"Good," said Aerrow. "Now let's head on out. It'll be dark by the time we get to Terra Wallop, and we need to be ready if we're gonna stop the Dark Ace."

"I just hope that we'll be able to do this," said Aang. "I'd hate to see such a wonderful world fall into the hands of someone so malicious as the Dark Ace."

"It won't," said Zuko, "not as long as we're still standing. Even if it takes a hundred years, I'll make sure this world doesn't suffer the same fate ours did."

"We've wasted enough time here," said Starling. "Let's head for Terra Wallop and find that crystal before it's too late."

The others nodded and headed up the ramp and into the _Condor_. Once everyone was safely aboard, the ramp closed up and the ship rose from the terra and jetted off into the skies to head for Terra Wallop.

Meanwhile, a lone figure appeared from under the terra of Gundstaff's house. It moved into the light while flying a Talon Switchblade and revealed itself to be Ravess. A smirk formed on her lips as she had just heard the next plans of the group, and she laughed with malice in her voice.

Wasting no time, Ravess activated the communicator on her sky ride and said, "Dark Ace, I've just found out that those pesky Storm Hawks and their friends are heading for Terra Wallop to find a crystal to stop us. I think that this counts as a direct violation of your ultimatum, don't you think? So, should we go ahead with destroying terras like you said?"

There was a pause on the other line as the Dark Ace took in all the information from his cohort. He finally replied by saying, _"No. Let's see what they're up to first; then we'll determine if it's worth turning terras to rubble. I shall send the others to join you on Wallop. Find out what they're doing and make sure that it doesn't happen."_

"Understood," said Ravess. She looked at the _Condor_ in the distance and relished in the thought of ambushing her foes unsuspectingly.

* * *

><p>It was night time when the <em>Condor<em> flew Atmos and the full moon revealed itself to cast silver light. After a long journey of travelling through what appeared to be endless skies, it had finally come to an area where two fist-shaped terras covered with thick forests that were connected to each other by a long bridge were located. The Storm Hawks already knew from their last visit here that this was Terra Wallop.

The ship hovered over one of the terras before deploying its landing gear and settling down on a cliff just on the edge of the terra. Everyone departed from the hangar bay to begin their latest expedition to find the crystal native to this terra—and they all hoped that they would not be met with hostility.

When everyone touched down on the ground, they immediately heard rustling coming from the bushes. It was so startling that the group, on instinct, drew their weapons or got into a Bending stance. The rustling was getting more rapid, which meant that whoever or whatever was causing it was coming closer, and now everyone would be ready in case it was a malicious entity.

The rustling stopped and soon a head came out that belonged to a Wallop. Eventually, more of the rhinoceros-humanoids came out of hiding and slowly walked over to the group.

Junko smiled, seeing his own kind appear before him with such welcoming stares. "Hi, everyone," he said. "I'm back."

The Wallops all chatted amongst themselves as they drew closer just as Aerrow and the others holstered their weapons and relaxed. They were all glad that they were accepted by the residents of the terra, especially after everything the Storm Hawks had done to save them from Cyclonis's tyranny.

"So, these are Junko's pals, right?" asked Toph.

"It sure looks that way," replied Sokka.

"That's too bad. I was kind of looking forward to some action, but that's just me."

Aerrow was glad to see all the Wallops were smiling at him and his friends, and now he was certain that what Starling said about them trusting outsiders was true. He was even happy to see the Wallop miners that he and his team helped escape from the Wastelands were there to greet his group. From behind his head, he could hear Radarr chirping with delight as he sat on Aerrow's shoulders.

Just then, all the Wallops separated as one of them walked up to the group. They all tilted their heads up just to look at the Wallop as he was three times Junko's size. His dark-tanned skin blended well with his plaid robe and gray hair, and the horn on his snout was much higher than the average Wallop's horn. Clutched in his large hand was a staff that had a green crystal shining brilliantly in the darkness.

Junko stepped forward and bowed in respect to the Wallop. "Chief Thragg," he addressed. "I've returned to Terra Wallop, even though I'm not allowed, for important business."

The Chief humbly smiled at his fellow Wallop for he was finally going to say what he wanted. "Rise, Junko," he said. "You have no need to apologize."

The Storm Hawk's strongman did as he was asked and looked at Thragg. He had no idea that the ruler of his home would be so forgiving to him, especially with how he had disgraced him in the challenge of strength.

"Junko," said Thragg, "I was wrong about you. You kept showing me what was really going on, but I was too consumed with fear and arrogance to listen. On that day when you saved all of Atmos from Cyclonia, you taught me a valuable lesson in humility. I should never seek the easiest way of solving my problems for they will always lead to something much worse. And for that, I welcome you back. You truly are a Wallop because you are strong in body, mind and heart."

Junko once again bowed in respect and smiled after hearing those words coming from such an important figure in his life. "Thank you," he said. "It really means a lot to me that you would be so forgiving."

All the others felt a sense of joy filling up inside them for seeing their friend be so well-respected with his fellow Wallops.

"Now, you said that you had come here for important business," said Thragg. "Could you explain to me what it is?"

"Of course," said Junko. "You've see the Dark Ace threaten every terra, right?" He could see the other Wallops nod in response, so he continued. "Well, you see, my friends and I are going to stop him. But to do that, we need to find a colossus crystal."

Chief Thragg nodded in understanding and pointed to his staff. "A colossus crystal is the same kind that I have here. If that is what you desire, then I shall show you where they can be found. Come with me."

The Wallop ruler walked into the forest and the group followed in pursuit. It had come a little sudden to them but they were now going to get the chance to find a colossus crystal.

Sokka took up the rear as he and the others walked through the forest. His eyes gazed upon the terra and it sparked his curiosity. He never truly got the chance to explore one of the places in this world so he took this time to carefully look around while maintaining his trek. The terra felt like such a wondrous place to him, unlike anything he had ever seen back in his own world. _I'll bet I could find some interesting things in this place_, he thought.

Suddenly, Sokka realized that he had stopped moving. From his point of view, he could see that he already lost sight of the others and that there was nothing but bushes and trees in front of him. The thick foliage had now made the area extremely dark combined with the night sky, creating nothing but blackness as far as the eye could see.

The boy gulped nervously as he was now lost in an unfamiliar place with no one else around him and his friends already far ahead. Then he could feel beads of sweat dripping down his forehead as his imagination thought of deadly things that might spring out and get him. "No worries," he said in a tense voice. "I'm sure that if I just call out to the others I can—"

Sokka couldn't finish what he was going to say as some unseen force had suddenly taken control of his entire body. He grunted as he fought to resist, but every muscle ordered him to walk forward into a set of bushes. The boy was worried that someone or something was doing this to him. It then came to him as this sinister feeling had happened to him before and he knew who was responsible for doing it.

Just as Sokka walked past the bushes and stopped, he was about to call for help when his mouth was covered by a scaly hand that made his cry muffled. His heart then felt like it was beating a mile a minute when he saw a boomerang glowing with yellow energy was held close to his throat. Looking to his left in the glow of the moonlight, he saw that both the hand and the boomerang belonged to Repton.

"Hello, boy," said the Raptor leader. "Now we can't have you giving us away, can we?"

Sokka continued to utter muffled cries when he saw several figures appear out of the darkness. They each stepped into the moonlight to show their appearances, and the Water Tribe boy saw that the Dark Ace's forces were now laughing at him maliciously.

Hama kept her hands steady as she used her Bloodbending to control Sokka's body. "I'm so glad that we've found you," she said, "because you're going to help us with a little favour."

"That's right," added Repton. "I'm sure that your friends will be in for quite a surprise." He then formed a wide grin on his face to show his razor-sharp teeth.

The only thing that Sokka could do was open his eyes wide with horror and cry out more screams that he know would go unanswered.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Yikes! This looks like trouble!<p>

Sokka: Oh great! How come I'm the one captured by the bad guys?

Repton: Because you're the only one stupid enough to get left behind—that's why!

Sokka: Hey! I happen to have a natural curiosity.

Repton: Whatever you say... idiot.

BlueTiger321: Well folks, it might be a while until I update, so please stay tuned for the next chapter. So, until next time...

Sokka: Read and review! And please help me!

Repton: Don't count on it!


	19. Chapter 19: Lethal Weapon

Chapter 19: Lethal Weapon

BlueTiger321: Well, I said I would do my best to update ASAP, so that's what I've done. Now let's see how Sokka is going to get out of this mess. Enjoy!

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><p>Sokka stood before the Dark Ace's forces, completely at the mercy of Hama's Bloodbending. There was nothing he could do but await for what they had in store for him. From his point of view, he could already tell that he was going to be used for some dark purpose against his friends.<p>

Repton finally removed his hand from the boy's mouth but kept his boomerang close to his throat to make sure he wouldn't try calling out to his friends. The Raptor's forked tongue came out of his mouth and slithered in Sokka's face to taunt him, and he chuckled as it made the boy extremely uncomfortable.

"What are you gonna do with me?" Sokka asked in a demanding tone. All fear in his body was gone and he looked at the alliance with abhorrence.

"Well, that depends," replied Ravess. "Just what are you and your friends doing here on Wallop?"

Sokka scoffed the woman's question by turning away his head and narrowing his eyes. "As if I'd tell you freaks," he said. "Besides, I'm sure they'll probably come rescue me once they notice I'm missing."

"Oh, we're counting on it," said Hama.

"Yes," said Repton. "Now that we've got you right where we want you, we can make you do anything!"

A nervous gulp travelled down Sokka's throat. The thought of being forced to perform any task, no matter how depraved it looked, by these people suddenly made him feel gravely concerned for himself. He wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but he knew that his friends would be in danger if he was coerced into telling them why they were looking for a colossus crystal or something much worse.

"You can't do this!" Sokka plead.

"Oh, yes we can," said Carver, "and we will."

"So just shut up and take it like a man!" said Snipe.

"Man?" said Hoerk. "This kid's too scrawny to even be considered a man."

"Uh-huh," said Spitz. "Even I would prefer to eat sssomeone with a little more meat on their bonesss. Maybe even that girl who looksss like you!"

Sokka's face then showed absolute rage when he heard Spitz threaten his sister. "You stay away from Katara!" he said. "If you lay one finger on her, I swear you'll wish you had never been born!"

Repton got into the boy's face and snarled to quiet him down. "You're in no position to be making threats," he said. "And if you won't tell us why you're here... Well, it doesn't matter because you and your friends are doomed anyway."

"I think this talk has gone on long enough," said Long Feng. "It's time we stop those pests once and for all."

"Well said," said Hama. Her eyes then showed wickedness when she turned to her captive. "And Sokka, I hope that you don't mind if we 'use' you for a little test."

Ravess smirked at the boy and said, "I don't think he could object if he wanted to."

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><p>Aerrow and everyone else continued walking through the dark forests of Wallop while following Chief Thragg to the spot he mentioned. None of them were aware of what transpired before they set out; their current mission was the only thing on everyone's mind. All other things going on around them were completely irrelevant.<p>

As they continued walking, Aang suddenly felt curious about what they were after. Knowing there was only one member of the group who really had any knowledge about crystals, he walked up to her with a quickened pace to get in her line of sight. "Hey, Piper?" he asked. "So, do you know exactly what this crystal does?"

In her own mind, Piper was glad to be asked that question. It always made her feel needed whenever people would ask her about crystals. "Well," she replied, "a colossus crystal has the power to heighten someone's physical abilities. One touch of it would make you immensely strong and you could even run over great lengths without getting tired."

"That's right," said Thragg, overhearing the conversation. "We Wallops use the crystal as a symbol of our own strength. And under normal circumstances we wouldn't let outsiders have any of them. But for Junko and his friends, I'll be able to make an exception."

Aerrow suddenly felt curious about the crystal as well. He looked directly at Piper and said, "Is that why we need to find a colossus crystal, to heighten your own strength for the enhancer stone?"

"Yes," replied the crystal mage. "I've read the instructions and it's the catalyst needed in order to create the reaction. When all the other crystals are combined, the colossus crystal is what causes the sudden increase in power."

"That makes sense," said Zuko. "If you want something to become so powerful, then you would have to add that extra bit of effort."

"It seems kinda like cheating to me," said Toph. "If you want to be strong then you have to work for it. Using something like a crystal is taking the easy way out, and it just proves that you're weak."

"I agree," said Starling. "Even though we use crystals for our day-to-day lives, there are still some who completely depend on them and lose touch with themselves. I'm glad that nobody I know has ever fallen victim to that."

"In any case," said Aerrow, "we're getting a crystal not to prove our strength but to help us."

The others all nodded with agreement and continued their walk through the forest. The path from the _Condor_ all the way to the mines seemed like they had been walking for an eternity. All the aches from their tired feet sprang up their bodies and made them feel a bit sluggish, but still they pressed on as Thragg led the way. They all assured themselves that the effort would be worth the trip once they finally get a colossus crystal.

Stork, meanwhile, breathed heavily while he ordered his feet to drag himself along the trail. He never thought that the crystal would be this far, so he felt compelled to say, "So, how much... longer 'til we're... there?"

The trip eventually led up a hill, and Thragg turned his head to the Merb to answer the question. "It's just down the other side," he said. "Lately we've found plenty of crystals in the mines, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one for yourselves."

"That's great," said Junko. "And once again, I gotta thank you for being so generous."

"Think nothing of it," replied the chief. "It's my pleasure to help you in any way I can after what you've done for us."

Everyone soon got to the top of the hill where Chief Thragg was waiting for them. They were now feeling exhausted after the long walk they made across the terra and they could not wait to simply lie down and drift off to sleep. But their eyes looked down the other side of the hill where Thragg was pointing to an open cave on the side of a large crag.

"Here we are," said Thragg.

"Yes! Now let's go get that crystal!" Piper said with enthusiasm.

The crystal mage could not wait so she slid down the side of the hill and skidded to a stop at the base. Everyone slowly walked down to join her but she was already near the entrance of the mines.

"That's Piper for you," said Finn. "Once she sets her sights on a crystal, there's no way to snap her out of it."

The others all made chuckles at the remark, thinking that Finn finally made a good joke. Too bad, they all thought, that it wasn't one of his idiosyncrasies.

Each member was about to join Piper into the mines when Katara paused as she got a head count of everyone in the area. _Something's not right_, she thought. All her friends looked to be right there, but the feeling that one of them was not still lingered inside her mind. Her eyes quickly glanced from left to right while she mentally counted them all, and that's when she realized who was missing.

"Sokka?" the young Waterbender called. Her voice echoed throughout the chilly night air, but there was no response. "Sokka, where are you?" Still there was no answer, and that's when she became afraid for her brother. Turning to her friends she said, "Guys! Sokka's not here!"

Aerrow and Radarr both paused in mid-step and turned to face Katara when they thought they heard her right. "Are you sure?" The boy Sky Knight looked down at his co-pilot and heard him give out a worried chirp. "I hope he didn't go too far."

All the others heard the call from Katara and rushed to her before they set foot in the mines. Chief Thragg slowly came over to the group to see why they hesitated in seeking what they wanted.

"Sokka's gone?" Junko said worriedly. "Then we better go find him!"

"I don't know why we didn't notice this before," said Katara. "I should've stayed with him, and now he could be anywhere."

"It's probably too late for him," said Stork. "This place is new to Sokka, so maybe he took an unfortunate turn and wound up falling off the edge of the terra. Of course, that's only a hunch."

Katara gasped with fright. "That's not funny, Stork! Sokka's my brother and I can't let anything happen to him, especially since I no longer have my mother."

"Okay, okay, calm down," said Aerrow. He was worried that his pilot and his friend were about to get into a heated argument. "I think our best bet is to split up and to meet back here. If any of us find Sokka, yell it out so we'll know."

It was at that moment when Toph lifted up her head when she felt a familiar vibration in the ground. "I don't think that's necessary, 'cause I can feel Sokka coming over here," she said. "But something feels strange."

"Strange?" said Starling. "How so?"

"Well, the way that Sokka's coming towards us, it's almost like he's trying to get away."

Finn blinked in confusion. "Could you clarify that?" he said.

"Hey," said Toph, "I'm just telling it the way it is."

At that moment, a rustle came from the bushes. Everyone immediately turned to the spot but couldn't tell who was coming as they were too far away. But in the darkness they could see the familiar figure getting closer and closer to them until it finally stepped into the moonlight to show it was Sokka. The Water Tribe boy was moving oddly: each step appeared wobbly like he was trying to resist the urge to move forward. Also, a piece of fabric was tightly tied around his mouth while he let out muffled cries.

"There's Sokka," said Finn. "Looks like he found his way back." He then walked over to his friend to see why he left the group.

"Finn, wait," said Aerrow. "Something doesn't feel right about this."

The blonde sharpshooter ignored the warning and was almost within reach of Sokka. "Hey bud," he said. "So, did you have a good time seein' Terra Wallop for yourself?"

As soon as Finn was close enough, Sokka unsheathed his sword and began to swing it violently. Finn instinctively screamed and ducked to avoid contact with the blade. It did not stop as the marksman grunted and moved to the side when Sokka tried to strike him again. Over and over it continued to happen, but Finn luckily managed to evade every attack but couldn't understand why his friend was doing this.

"Sokka, what's wrong with you?" said Finn. "I'm your friend, remember?"

Sokka could only shake his head and utter another muffled cry while he once again attacked with his sword. It was soon getting out of hand for Finn so he ran back over to the group while they were all sharing confused glances with each other.

"Sokka, what are you doing?" said Aerrow.

The Water Tribe boy walked over to the group with his weapon held high, and the red-haired teen knew that he had to take action before anyone got hurt. He ran towards his friend with a plan already in mind of how to stop him without causing any injury.

Katara looked back and was perplexed by her brother's behaviour, but then she realized something: the way her brother moved, how he was trying to fight his own actions, and the full moon. They all added up to one thing that was the cause—and it filled her entire body with fear.

"Guys," said Katara, "we've gotta get out of here!"

"Why?" asked Piper.

By that time, Aerrow ran over to Sokka and jumped into the air right before the sword was swung in his direction. Everyone watched as the Sky Knight somersaulted over Sokka's head and landed on his feet behind his friend. Thinking fast, Aerrow swept his leg along the ground and knocked Sokka on his back. Then he quickly got on top of his friend and pinned him to the ground by his wrists and ankles.

"Sorry, Sokka," said Aerrow, "but it was for your own good."

Sokka repeatedly shook his head left and right while he cried underneath his mouth restraint, and Aerrow knew he would get an explanation if he removed it.

Back with the group, Katara was answering Piper's question. "I know who's doing this to Sokka!"

The moment Aerrow pulled the cloth off Sokka's mouth, he shouted, "It's a trap!"

By that time it was too late; everyone but Katara was struggling as something immediately took control of their bodies. They were then forced to kneel on the ground while several figures appeared out of the shadows and let out sinister laughs. The young Waterbender looked over along with everyone else to see Hama walking out with Ravess, Snipe, the Raptors, Long Feng, Carver and Domiwick.

"I knew it was you!" Katara said angrily. "Only someone as despicable as you would ever use Bloodbending, and on my own brother!"

Hama laughed at the comment. "Oh, don't be such a hypocrite, Katara," she said. "You know full well that you're also a Bloodbender. Why, I'm the very one who taught you how to use it. You should be grateful that you have been given such an amazing talent. You and I are the same, Katara, so there's no point in trying to hide it."

"'Amazing'? I think you mean revolting! Taking away a person's own will is a vile and cowardly act, and I will never lower myself to your level! The only reason I performed Bloodbending was to stop you from hurting innocent people! And I am _nothing_ like you!"

The conversation was interrupted by Snipe. "Hey," he said, "how come she's not under your control?"

"Because," replied Hama, "Katara is the only one I know who can resist the power of my Bloodbending. So instead, we're going to make her surrender."

"Never!" shouted Katara as she was about to bring water out of her carrier.

The old woman anticipated this, so with a smirk and a lift of her hands, both Aerrow and Sokka yelped as they were brought to their feet and raising up their weapons by Hama's command. The ignited crystal blades were inched over to Sokka's head while the black sword rested under Aerrow's chin. The others were also brought up yelping in surprise, and the Storm Hawks all had their weapons drawn and pointed forcefully at their friends. Try as they might and no matter how loud they grunted, they could not disobey the will of the Bloodbender.

Katara saw this and gasped, an angry look on her face and tears streaming from her eyes. She felt even greater contempt for Hama using such a dirty tactic. But for her friend's own safety, she would have to comply. The water was placed back in her carrier and she kept her hands to the sides of her body.

"I knew you'd see things my way," said Hama. "Now, if you'll kindly yield..."

A loud growl interrupted the old woman, and they all turned to see it was Chief Thragg shouting in anger. His cry was so loud that the others wished they could move their bodies just to cover their ears. Thragg stared at the intruders of his terra and said, "How dare you invade Terra Wallop! I promise you that no Wallop will take this lying down, especially to black-hearted scoundrels like you!"

Repton only laughed at the remark. "Cry out all you want, you old fool," he said. "It's not going to do you any good."

Thragg only narrowed his eyes angrily, knowing that his shout was going to do something.

The Dark Ace's alliance advanced on the group while they were still trapped in place and Katara standing still in submission. It seemed that all was hopeless for them and they had now reached the end.

"Man, it'd take a miracle to save us now," Finn said worriedly.

"I could help if I wasn't stuck like this," said Junko.

Stork gulped as their enemies closed in on him and everyone else. "This is one of those times that I wish I was back on the _Condor_."

"It can't end like this," said Zuko. "Not after we've come so far."

Aerrow tried to struggle against Hama's control, but every muscle in his body wouldn't obey his command. But he kept telling himself that he had to break free and stop the Dark Ace and his followers from ruling Atmos. The message from his mind kept relaying it throughout his body as he tried with every ounce of his being to resist the power controlling him.

Carver could see what the red-haired teen was trying to do, and so he took enjoyment from seeing him struggle against it. "You might as well give up now, Aerrow," he said. "You'll just end up putting more strain on yourself, and I want to enjoy every last moment when I finish you off."

"You know what?" said Ravess. "I say we take care of these worms right now and not let them have any more chances of escaping."

"Good thinkin', sis," said Snipe. Bringing out his mace, he put the spiked ball in his free hand and pounded it in hard.

"What should we do to 'em first?" said Hoerk, getting out his sword.

"Why not let them sssquirm sssome more?" said Spitz, also getting out his sword.

"Or why not just take care of them quickly and get it over with?" said Repton.

"Oh, I know!" said Lugey. "How 'bout we do make 'em pick their noses, 'cause, y'know, they can't fight back."

The other Raptors all looked at Lugey with weird expressions. True, they each thought, that Lugey was never the brightest of the group, but even that suggestion was pretty stupid for him.

"Be quiet, Lugey, and just do as you're told!" snapped Repton.

"Can we hurry up?" said Domiwick. "I'd like to report to the Dark Ace so I can finally be rid of this demeaning work."

"I agree," said Long Feng. "I would like to return to my own world so the Dark Ace can fulfill his end of the bargain."

"Who said either of you were in control?" said Ravess.

"Oh? And what makes you the head honcho all of a sudden?" said Snipe.

The members of the alliance were now arguing with each other, and Aerrow saw this was his opportunity. He could still feel being under Hama's control but he thought as hard as he could. Sweat beaded from his brow and trickled down to his clothes while he fought back with all his might. Eventually, the Sky Knight could feel his fingers moving, and the feeling moved all the way up his arms until he finally had them working again. Aerrow lurched forward while his friends all stared wide-eyed at how he was able to regain control.

Knowing this was a delicate situation, Piper whispered, "Go for it, Aerrow."

The boy Sky Knight nodded with agreement and brought his blades together. He then separated them and unleashed a long wave of blue energy that hit the Dark Ace's followers and sent them to the ground. As a result, Hama lost her focus and released everyone under the control of her Bloodbending. Everyone moved their joints around after having been stiff for quite a while.

"Whoa," said Finn. "Who knew that being taken control of could be a major pain?"

Aang felt like praising his friend for his incredible feat. "Way to go, Aerrow!" he said. "You really pulled through for us."

"Impossible!" said Hama after standing back up from the attack. "How could you resist my Bloodbending?"

"Guess you didn't count on someone as strong-willed as me!" said Aerrow.

Hama merely laughed and said, "Well, I definitely won't make that mistake again." She then brought her hands together and bent the water from the air as droplets formed all around her body. The droplets then froze into dozens of icicles and soared through the air.

The Sky Knight fought back by Earthbending a wall right up in front of him that intercepted the attacks. It was then followed up by him jumping over the wall and releasing a long wave of fire from his foot.

Hoerk was the only unfortunate one to stand in the line of the attack, and he screamed in agony as the flame scorched his body and covered him with soot. A puff of smoke was exhaled from his mouth and he fell to the ground.

Repton grunted in fury, both from his enemies regaining control and from the Sky Knight injuring his brother. "Get them!" he shouted.

The battle then commenced. Aang went first by lifting a column of earth underneath Spitz and sent him screaming face-first into a tree. Long Feng sent a wave of stalagmites along the ground that were broken up by Toph and Junko who then hurled the pieces by their own Earthbending. Snipe swung his spiked ball around hoping to hit a target, but Zuko saw it as an opportunity, so he formed his lightning and fired the bolt right at the chain, sending it down Snipe's mace and charging him with electricity.

Finn was running away cowardly from Ravess's onslaught of arrows, but he was eventually saved by Piper who froze them in a wall of ice from the ground up. The sharpshooter let out quick breaths while the girl merely rolled her eyes and shook her head in disappointment.

Aerrow and Carver locked their weapons with each other, the same with Starling and Repton. Their rivalries were bitter and it would not stop until one of them would emerge as the victor. All four fighters fought against each other with ferocity, their crystal-powered weapons giving off sparks.

Chief Thragg also took part in this battle. He put down his staff and faced off against a terrified Domiwick who held up his sabre with a shaking hand. The Wallop ruler smiled down at the human standing before him, feeling satisfied with showing those who would ever invade his terra that they would feel his wrath. With a mighty grunt, Thragg flung Domiwick to the side by swinging his arm and the explorer shouted as the massive force catapulted him through the air and down on the ground hard.

Domiwick shook his head while trying to regain his bearings but was then knocked out by a green gas. The substance had come from a can with a large nozzle that was held by Stork, and the Merb smiled proudly to prove that he was willing to fight when given the chance.

Lugey, Spitz and Hoerk all faced down Sokka, who looked furious after he had been used to attack his friends. The Water Tribe boy was going to show all of them that he would not take what they did to him lightly.

"Get ready!" shouted Sokka.

A loud battle cry exited Sokka's mouth as he wildly swung his sword while Repton's brothers were trying their best to block the attacks. They were doing well so far but they could already tell from the ferocity of their opponent that he would soon gain the upper hand.

It was then that Radarr and Momo decided to join the battle by sneaking up to the three Raptors. While they were busily blocking Sokka's attacks, they each got behind the tails of the unsuspecting lizards and bit down hard.

All three Raptors shouted with agony when they felt the pain on their tails. Sokka took this chance to take down his enemies, starting with an uppercut to Hoerk, then a kick to Spitz's stomach, and finally a knock to Lugey's head with his sword's hilt.

Sokka looked around frantically for his next target. That's when he spotted Katara going up against Hama. The two Waterbenders both had water covering their arms that they used to lash out, but each time their attacks collided with each other and neither one of them would advance. A burning hatred then filled up inside Sokka for what the old woman had done to him, and he was going to get his revenge.

"Get away from my sister!" shouted the Water Tribe boy.

Hama sprayed her water at Katara, who in turn did the same. The two sides both pushed hard against the other, their strengths appearing to be equal. But Hama could see out of the corner of her eye that Sokka was trying to attack her while she was distracted. Thinking fast, the old woman swung her arms to her left and knocked Katara away and also knocked down Sokka.

Katara got to her feet and gasped upon seeing her brother lying unconscious on the ground with Hama standing over him.

"Stupid boy," said Hama. "Did you really think you had a chance against a superior Waterbender on the night of a full moon?" Bringing up her hands, she then made droplets from the air fuse to her fingers and form into ice claws.

All the others could see that Sokka was defenceless, but they were too preoccupied with the ones they were fighting to save him. They wanted to help their friend but that would mean leaving themselves wide open for an attack.

Katara, on the other hand, looked at her brother in concern. She then realized that there was only one way to save him—and she knew that she would never forgive herself for doing it. The young Waterbender raised her hands and concentrated as the power of the full moon would guide her.

Hama raised her ice claws high and brought them down to strike her target. Suddenly, the blade of Sokka's sword was brought up to block the attack. The old woman gasped with disbelief as she could see the boy stand up while he was still unconscious. From there he swung his weapon around, forcing Hama to back away and block with her claws until he finally swung so hard that he shattered the ice claws and knocked the old woman to the ground. A cry came from Hama's mouth as she was down on her back.

The cry was so loud that it had awoken Sokka. From his standing he could see that Hama was down before him, but he could feel a tingling all around his body like someone else was making him perform his actions like he was the puppet. "What's going on?" he said. His eyes shifted around to see that it was his own sister using Bloodbending on him. "Katara?"

Hama looked behind her to see the Water Tribe girl was frowning and using the Waterbending technique that she learned from her. A crude smile formed on her face and she laughed maniacally. "Well," she said, "it looks like you are no different from me after all."

Katara only turned her face away in shame and released her control on her brother when she saw that he regained consciousness. Fear then gripped her body as to what Sokka would say to her for using Bloodbending on him.

All of a sudden, everybody stopped battling when they heard many footsteps coming from within the forest. It sounded as if a huge stampede of wild animals was about to come out of nowhere and trample anything that got in the way. But Chief Thragg was smiling as he already knew what was coming.

Junko peered through the darkness and shouted, "Yes!"

Out from the forest came every other Wallop on the terra, all cracking their knuckles and bearing angered looks at the Dark Ace's followers, who were all slowly backing away from the sheer numbers.

"Looks like the cavalry's arrived," said Aerrow.

Ravess looked around wide-eyed, having no idea how every Wallop was able to gather to this location. "How is this possible?"

Chief Thragg picked up his staff and replied, "Remember that loud call I did earlier? Well, I did that for a reason. Now, we'll show you how Wallops deal with trespassers!"

Snipe's lower lip whimpered as he held up his hands in defence. All the Wallops then took it as their custom to a challenge, so they all snarled at the burly man and flexed their muscles.

"Run for your lives!" shouted Snipe.

The members of the dark alliance knew they were outnumbered, so they went along with the suggestion and fled from the scene. The Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group all laughed at their enemies retreating, thinking that they had won another victory to their cause.

But Repton stopped momentarily when he saw the entrance to the mines was within distance. He narrowed his eyes as he thought he would be able to have the last laugh, even though he and his comrades lost the battle. Reaching behind his back, he pulled out a metal ball with spikes around the middle and said, "The joke's on you, fools. Whatever you plan on doing won't happen. I'll make sure of that!" The Raptor leader then tossed the ball into the mine's entrance and ran away with his cohorts.

Aerrow already knew what the object was, so he shouted, "Everybody, get back!"

The others all heeded the Sky Knight's warning and ran off. At that moment, a huge explosion blasted outward from the mines that created a blinding flash. When the light subsided, everyone could see the entrance to the mines was now blocked by the debris that caved in from the explosion.

"Aw, man!" said Finn. "We were so close!"

"I know," said Toph. "After coming all this way, those jerks had to go and ruin our plan. When I get my hands on them, they're gonna wish they never messed with us."

"I'm sure we could still find a crystal if we used Earthbending to clear the wreckage," said Aang.

"It won't do us any good," said Piper. "Judging from the size of that explosion, I'd say that it probably destroyed every colossus crystal in the mines."

Junko shook his head with disbelief. Seeing his own home being invaded by the Dark Ace's forces was bad enough, but now he was faced with the reality that he and his friends will never find a way to stop him. "No," he said. "This can't be happening. Finding a colossus crystal was our only hope. Now we'll never get one."

Chief Thragg walked up to the younger Wallop with a stern look on his face. Seeing one of his kind be denied his own desire did not sit well with him, so he was going to fulfill his duty as a chief to help one of the people of his clan. "Yes, you will," he said.

The Storm Hawks' strongman looked over his shoulder and gasped at what he saw. Chief Thragg grabbed the colossus crystal from atop his staff and pulled it off with one tug. The green crystal then sat in the Wallop's large hand and was held out willingly to Junko.

"Chief Thragg," said Junko, "what are you doing?"

"Well, you said you needed a colossus crystal, did you not?" said Thragg. "So here you go."

"But, that crystal is the symbol of your status. I can't accept that."

"Believe me, Junko. I would not be more proud if you were to have it. I'm giving it to you because I believe in what you are setting out to do: to make all of Atmos safe again. And after seeing the savagery of your enemies, I cannot stand by and let them take control like the Cyclonians did before. So every Wallop will stand up and fight for freedom!" Every Wallop around Thragg then cheered as they all agreed with what he said.

Junko nodded in understanding and was glad to see that his own kind would join in the fight to stop the Dark Ace. He then accepted the colossus crystal from Chief Thragg and bowed in respect as thanks.

"Great," said Aerrow. "Now we have everything we need to make an enhancer stone."

"Then we better get started," said Piper. "We don't have much longer until the Dark Ace finally deals out his wrath upon every terra."

Everyone else then headed out of Terra Wallop while the Wallops all waved and bade them farewell and good luck in their journey.

As they all walked back to the _Condor_, Katara looked over to see her brother who was looking up ahead as though he was not pondering about the earlier events. But Sokka then turned his head to look over at his sister and she stared down at the ground in shame. The consequences of her actions weighed heavily on the girl's psyche and she could not tell if her brother was either angry or worried about her.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Aw, poor Katara. She looks so sad. Well folks, it'll be a while until I have the next chapter up and running, but stay tuned where we'll see how the group's plan will unfold. So until next time, be sure to read and review.<p> 


	20. Chapter 20: Gathering of the Best

Chapter 20: Gathering of the Best

BlueTiger321: Okay, so now our heroes have what they need to bring everyone from Aang's world into Atmos. But there's one problem that hasn't been solved: how does Sokka feel about Katara for using Bloodbending on him? Let's find out!

* * *

><p>It was the next day when the <em>Condor<em> flew through the skies to head for Terra Atmosia. The previous night's encounter with the Dark Ace's followers was extremely stressful for everyone onboard. But the outcome was positive as they had gained both a colossus crystal and the support of the Wallops. It was time for them to arrive to the spot where Aerrow had instructed Tritonn to meet with them along with every Sky Knight squadron in Atmos.

Everyone was in the bridge of the ship to relax before the coming battle, except for Piper who was in her room to construct the enhancer stone. All was quiet on the ship while they were making for their destination. Though none of them wanted to admit it, they were terrified for what might happen when they were to face off against the Dark Ace and they met their tragic end. The silence was the only thing that gave them some slight comfort so nobody would dare to disturb it.

Katara was feeling more stressed than the others. She stared down at the metal floor while she sat on a lone chair right near the controls where Stork was piloting the _Condor_. Her actions last night of using Bloodbending on Sokka were a traumatic experience to her, and she imagined that it was also traumatic and humiliating for her brother. All this time she always told herself that Bloodbending was a contemptible technique that should never be used on anyone, and yet she had used it on her brother in order to save his life. Now she felt bad both for herself and him.

The young Waterbender momentarily looked up to see her brother leaning against a wall while he stared out the window in an unconcerned manner. She contemplated that Sokka would hate her for the rest of his life after what she did. To her, protecting her family was what matters the most in her life, even though she may end up hating herself for it. But she still couldn't get the worry out of her mind that her brother would no longer care for her.

Aerrow could see his friend in her saddened state. He couldn't stand idly by and watch Katara suffer like this, so he motioned to everyone else to walk over to her to see if they could lift her spirits.

"Katara, is something wrong?" asked the boy Sky Knight.

The girl turned around to face her friends. She knew that she could no longer hide her sorrow from them so she answered by saying, "Yes, there is. Ever since last night, I've been having these worries about what I've done to Sokka. I used Bloodbending on him to save his life, even though I'm completely against it. I guess Hama was right when she said I am a hypocrite."

"Don't say that, Katara," said Aang. "Hama used Bloodbending to hurt others, but you use it to help them. There's no way you could ever sink to her level."

Katara stood up from her seat and held her arms close to her chest. "I know that, but I still think that it's something that should never be used on anyone. And worst of all, I used it on Sokka. He must hate me for it."

"I don't think he could do that," said Junko. "He's your brother."

"I'm sure that if you talk to him, it would set your mind at ease," said Zuko.

Katara thought about it for a moment and then shook her head. "I can't," he said. "I'm too afraid of what he's going to say."

"I'm sure he'll understand if you explain it to him," said Starling. "Katara, you've got to be strong for your brother and show him how you really feel."

"If not, then you could always beat it into him," Toph said jokingly.

"We're here to support you if you need it," said Aerrow.

"That's right," said Finn. "There's nothin' we wouldn't do to help our friends."

Radarr looked up at the girl and nodded along with his teammates. A chirp escaped from his mouth while Momo did the same right next to him. It was their own way of saying they would have the girl's back.

Katara took in a deep breath and realized that the only way to solve this problem was to stop her worrying and talk to her brother. "Okay," she said, and walked away from the others.

The group all watched patiently as they saw Katara walk over to Sokka who was still nonchalantly staring out at the sky. The clacking of the girl's footsteps against the metal floor made him turn around to see his sister stand just a few feet away from him.

"Hi, Katara," said Sokka.

The girl took in a deep breath to gather her courage and said, "Sokka, I need to talk to you about what happened last night. I know that I've always said that I would never use Bloodbending on anyone, but I used it on you to save your life. And I know that you probably hate me for that." She paused momentarily and let tears stream down her face.

Sokka looked at his sister with concerned eyes. He never thought that what she did to him would put her through so much anguish. And at that moment he wanted to explain how he felt about it but then decided to let her continue.

Katara's sapphire eyes were now filled with tears as she looked up at her brother. "Ever since our mother died," she said, "I could never handle going through all that pain again. So I promised myself that I would always protect my family no matter what.

"And Sokka, I know that you think of me as a mother by how strong I am to accept the responsibilities. But the fact remains that you're still my big brother, and sometimes… I feel completely lost without you. So please, don't hate me for what I did. I used Bloodbending on you to protect you, because I love you."

The teenage boy walked up to his younger sister and immediately hugged her. All the others watched the display and smiled as they saw Sokka was already making amends with Katara.

Sokka looked down at his sister and said, "I was never mad at you, Katara. I truly am grateful to you for saving my life. And you should know by now that I'll always love you no matter what happens. I promised Dad that I would look out for you, and that's what I've been doing all along. Nothing you could do will ever change my feelings about you." The boy then reached down and kissed his sister on her forehead.

Katara looked up and smiled at her brother, seeing that her worries were for naught. She then shed tears of joy and said, "Thank you, Sokka."

The heartfelt scene was interrupted when everyone heard a loud explosion and a flash of purple light from down the hallway. It was so sudden that it put Aerrow and the others on guard; even Stork cast a worried glance while he flew the _Condor_. When the light faded, the sounds of footsteps echoed throughout the hallway that was getting closer to the bridge.

"I really hope that's not who I think it is," said Aerrow.

"You and me both," said Finn.

The figure stepped into the bridge, and everybody relaxed when they saw it was Piper. As she walked inside to greet her friends, the girl had a small purple crystal in her left hand. Aerrow already knew that the crystal was the fruit of Piper's labour.

"I did it, guys," said Piper. "I made an enhancer stone! It took a while for me to figure out the right combination, but here it is."

"That's great news, Piper," said Aerrow. Radarr hung off the boy's shoulders and chirruped at the girl to show his support. "So now we can continue on with what we were setting out to do."

"And it's about time, too," said Aang. "We can't let this drag on any longer. The Dark Ace must be stopped."

Everyone agreed with the Avatar's statement just as Stork cleared his throat to get the attention of his friends. "Well, I think I can ease your tension," said the Merb, "'cause we're just coming up on Terra Atmosia."

"Good," said Aerrow. "Take us in, Stork. Hopefully everyone we know will be there."

The _Condor_ was flown down to the terra and landed on the grassy knoll where it usually stayed. The Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group all descended onto the terra, now with the enhancer stone in their possession. All they needed was confidence that their plan in bringing the people from the other world into Atmos was going to go well.

Radarr looked down at the town and narrowed his eyes when he could see a large group of people standing around as though they were expecting something. A chirp escaped his mouth that made the others turn to him. When the little guy could feel all eyes were on him, he pointed a purple finger into the town.

What the Storm Hawks and Starling saw brought them joy. Standing around the town were the various Sky Knight squadrons of Atmos: the Neck Deeps, the Rebel Ducks along with Dove, the Absolute Zeroes, the Third Degree Burners who were laughing at Cyclonis still trapped in her crystal prison, the Buff Buzzards, the Screaming Queens, and the Rex Guardians. Joined with them were the Wallops led by Chief Thragg as they had assured Junko the previous night as well as the squad Finn formed by himself, the Ultra Dudes.

It was then that Tritonn noticed the Storm Hawks and walked over to them with a delighted expression. "I did like I said," he explained. "Ev'ry squadron I called said yes without so much as a stutter. It looks like we'll have all the help we'll need to stop the Dark Ace."

"You did great, Tritonn," said Aerrow. "But if we really want to succeed, then you're about to find out what we've been doing while you were out."

All the other squadrons looked at the Storm Hawks and the entire terra was filled with cheers as they were now working together with the one squadron that stood up to Cyclonia in Atmos' darkest hour.

The Storm Hawks were all filled with jubilation when they saw their fellow protectors were willing to join them in fighting off against evil forces. They went down the path and into the centre of the town to get everyone to see what was going to happen.

Piper soon noticed a band of troops marching into the town. Seeing who was leading made her ecstatic when she soon recognized it to be Princess Peregrine leading her soldiers.

The girl quickly ran off to welcome the princess, who in return showed a warm smile. "Perry!" said the crystal mage. "I didn't know you were coming here."

"I felt it was necessary," said the princess. "After seeing that horrible man in the sky, I had to do something to protect my people."

"But how did you leave Klockstoppia?"

Perry looked at her friend playfully. "Well, you know how our terra's technology is a bit old-fashioned? Well, back when I was on your ship I had an idea to run it without energy, so my soldiers piloted our own aircrafts purely on manpower." The moment she said that did some of the soldiers faint from exhaustion. "But I can assure you that we're using crystals as our defence. You won't see us firing any oranges, that's for sure."

Piper smiled, glad to see that another valuable ally was willing to join the fight. "Well, it's good to see that you're taking the responsibility. And you're just in time to see our greatest feat yet."

The female Storm Hawk re-joined her friends as they all stood in the centre with every other Sky Knight squadron gathered around them. It was now going to be the time when they would bring in more reinforcements who were going to fight for the sake of Atmos—and all the Storm Hawks knew that nobody would believe their eyes by what they were about to do.

"Thank you all for coming here on such short notice," said Aerrow. "I'm sure you've all seen the Dark Ace broadcast his threat throughout every terra. But that's not going to happen, not as long as we're still here. Together, we're going to put him out of commission and bring freedom to Atmos once more!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as soon as they heard the speech from the red-haired teen. To them they needed no encouragement to do what they all did best, but they thought it was a nice gesture from Aerrow.

The townspeople of Atmosia happened to see what was going on and one of them—an old man—stepped forth to address something that was on his mind. "Are you crazy?" he said. "Haven't you seen what kind of power the Dark Ace wields? He'll turn you to dust in the blink of an eye. I say we should surrender now and save ourselves a world of pain!"

"We can't give up now!" said Aerrow. "Not especially after we've worked so hard to put an end to Cyclonia. But truth be told, our current numbers will not be enough to stand up to the Dark Ace's power." He then directed his hands over to the Avatar's group. "The people you see here are from the world that's parallel to Atmos. They've agreed to join us along with every other fighter from their world. With an army of this magnitude, we will attain our victory!"

No cheers came from anyone's mouth. Instead they all stood perplexed while they took in the information from Aerrow.

"You think you could've done a little more pep talk?" said Finn.

It was then that the Storm Hawks knew that the only way their allies were going to believe it was to show them. Aerrow turned to his crystal mage and said, "Piper, it's time."

The girl nodded and got out the crystals she needed: the dimension stone, the Binding crystals, and the enhancer stone. "Stand back," she warned.

Everyone heeded the girl's words as they all took a step back to give her space. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath through her nostrils, Piper brought the Binding crystals together along with the enhancer stone. The newly-formed crystal began to glow in a brilliant purple light that combined with the other crystals to form a powerful surge of energy. Piper then remembered all the places she visited in Aang's world that had all the people who were willing to fight alongside them.

Just then, the enhancer stone gave Piper a huge jolt of power that made her scream. Everyone else looked on in fright to see the girl possibly risk herself for some unknown purpose, but the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group knew to trust in her for this mission.

The Binding crystals were then activated and shot a red beam at the dimension stone. With the added power from the enhancer stone, the dimension stone shot multiple beams out into open space in the town that each created portals.

* * *

><p>On Kyoshi Island, the fabled Kyoshi Warriors were going about their usual business when suddenly, a green vortex opened up right before them. It was so startling that they each leapt backward as they thought it was a threat.<p>

The portal still stood in the middle of the space, and the Kyoshi Warriors advanced on it when they saw that nothing else was happening.

Confused by its presence, Ty Lee said, "What do you think it is?"

Suki thought back to the day when her friends arrived on the island and remembered what the red-haired teen had told her. "I'm guessing this must be Aerrow's signal," she said. Turning to her fellow warriors, she addressed them. "All right, everyone. We've received permission from our village leader to help them, so let's move out."

The other Kyoshi Warriors all nodded to the order and boldly stepped into the portal, not knowing where they were headed but only what they were about to do.

* * *

><p>Down in the Southern Water Tribe, all the warriors were getting ready to standby as told by the Storm Hawks. They did not know how it was going to happen but they would believe the words of anyone trusted by Water Chief Hakoda's children. They each stood at the ready, not wavering from the sub-freezing air that blew their way.<p>

Suddenly, a green vortex was opened right in front of the village. All the men looked up and saw it swirling like a mighty maelstrom.

Hakoda knew then that it was the sign that his son and daughter told him about, and he was ready to face whatever trials lie ahead. Turning to Bato he said, "This is it. We march forward to help the Avatar and his comrades!"

In response, Bato waved to the other men and commanded them to carry their weapons and head straight into the portal. It was a good, long while before they all stepped inside and the portal closed behind them as they set foot in Atmos.

* * *

><p>Mai was currently in the courtyard of the Fire Lord's palace and she walked down the centre aisle with Zuko's troops standing in rows. It was her solemn duty to be ready when the time came for herself and the soldiers of the Fire Nation to cross over into the world connected to theirs and do battle just as the Fire Lord commanded. Even though they had no real connection to what was going on, they would still boldly follow the directions of their ruler after everything he had done to restore peacefulness to their home.<p>

Before Mai could take another step, a green portal opened up right in the courtyard. The soldiers were forced to shield their eyes from the flash before the light subsided and everyone could see the vortex standing before them.

Mai already knew that this was the entryway to the other world from what she remembered of how the _Condor_ vanished into the sky the night before. "I'm coming, Zuko," she said, and then walked into the portal without giving an explicit order.

The soldiers all stood around confusedly as they watched the teenage girl head into the vortex by herself, not knowing what to do themselves. Just then, Mai's head stuck out from the portal when she realized she wasn't being followed. "Well, don't just stand there," she said. "You've got to protect the Fire Lord, right?"

All the soldiers nodded and then eagerly walked into the portal right after Mai. The portal had closed just after the last soldier made it through and left the courtyard completely empty.

* * *

><p>Back on Terra Atmosia, all the people standing around watched in disbelief as different people appeared out of the portals that Piper had created. All of them were dressed in peculiar clothing that no one recognized and they all seemed to be from different places.<p>

Sokka and Katara ran up to be with their father along with Bato, Pakku and the other Water Tribe warriors from the north and south. They were then joined up with Mai and the Firebenders, then the Kyoshi Warriors, then King Bumi, the Earth Kingdom soldiers and Iroh who was joined with Zuko, the swordsman Piandao alongside Jeong Jeong, the Waterbenders from the Foggy Swamp, Haru and Tyro, and finally the Mechanist.

A giant army now stood within Terra Atmosia just as all the portals closed and Piper breathed in after using so much power. She could not believe that she was able to accomplish such an impossible task, but her hard work had paid off.

Both sides from each world were confused to see the others, but then Aerrow got up to address the crowd to tell them what was to happen next.

"Thank you all for coming," said the boy Sky Knight. "I know that you all must be confused by the presence of these newcomers, but let me say that your presence here is much appreciated. There is a force that's threatening our world and we need everyone's help in order to stop it.

"I know that the people from the Avatar's world don't really have any obligation to aid us in this battle, but the Avatar is going out of his way to help us in our time of need like what my team and I did for his world. And there is no guarantee that this force won't do to Aang's world the same thing it intends to do to ours.

"So I'm asking you all to come together to stop this menace so we can all live in peace and harmony. And with our combined efforts, we can win the day!"

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd when Aerrow was finished his speech. His words had gotten through each of them and they would now go through with the plan to finally stop the Dark Ace.

Piper stopped her cheering and remembered the words of the Oracle. There was just something about what she said that made her think. The words kept going through her mind: _The Avatar will be able to help you_. As far as Piper knew, she thought that the Avatar would mean Aang, but then there was Aerrow bringing the forces of both worlds together. And since he was able to Bend all four elements, the Oracle's words might have had another meaning.

The cheering died down and Tritonn got up to say a few words. "Well spoken, laddie," he said. "So where do we go from here?"

Aerrow was about to answer when he realized something: he had no idea where the Dark Ace and his cohorts were currently hiding. "Uh, that's a good question," he said. "I never really thought about that."

Before anyone could groan in annoyance, they all turned their heads when they could hear heavy breathing. From where everyone stood, they could see a group of portly lizard-humanoids running up to the crowd and they all wore lab coats.

"The Terradons?" said Piper. "What are they doing here?"

"Who are they?" asked Aang.

"They're a group of lizards who aren't like the Raptors," said Starling. "Unlike Repton's bunch, they prefer knowledge over fighting."

The Terradons all stopped before the large army and took in deep breaths after running all the way from where they parked their balloon. The leader, Oppinsaur, got up to get the attention of anyone who would help them.

Aerrow walked out with the rest of his team along with the Avatar's group. Knowing that the Terradons were in distress, the Sky Knight would find out what was wrong. "What happened to you guys?" he said.

Oppinsaur looked up and saw the Sky Knight who had helped him and his kind many times in the past. "Storm Hawks!" he said. "Oh, thank the sky we've found you! I have terrible news! Two days ago, our home terra was taken over by the Dark Ace and Repton! We've been flying around just to see if someone could help us!"

Piper nodded, now knowing exactly where the Dark Ace and his forces were making their hideout. "They're on Terra Bogaton," she said.

"Then that's where we'll face them," said Aerrow. He turned back to the army and said, "Now we know where the enemy is hiding. So it's time we march out and end this madness once and for all!"

All at once, everyone let out cheers and threw their fists into the air. They would soon get the chance to fight for their home's protection and they could not wait to get started.

Aang then suddenly got an idea that might help them. He got up front to address the army and let them quiet down. "Thank you, everyone," he said. "But before we leave, I think I can do something that will give us a greater chance of winning."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile on Terra Bogaton, the Dark Ace carefully paced around Repton's lair. The deadline for his ultimatum was fast approaching and he still had not heard from any of the terra's leaders. It then struck him that they were not going to surrender to him like he requested, so now he and his forces would have to resort to doing what he said they would do. Deep down inside, he was hoping that he would get to do things the hard way.<p>

The Dark Ace stopped in the middle of the room, making Ravess turn her head to the man. "What is it, Dark Ace?" she asked.

After letting out a short chuckle, the Dark Ace said, "I think we'll be expecting a battle very soon."

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: So this is it! Everyone's marching off to war! Who will win?<p>

Aerrow: We will!

Dark Ace: In your dreams!

Aerrow: In my dreams, I'm constantly kicking your butt 'round the clock, so there!

Dark Ace: *growls angrily*

BlueTiger321: Well folks, stay tuned when I'll have another exciting chapter up, which should leave you on the edge of your seat. So, until next time…

Aerrow: Read and review!


	21. Chapter 21: Frontal Assault

Chapter 21: Frontal Assault

BlueTiger321: All right, so welcome to the next chapter. Here we'll once again get to see the forces of good from both worlds work together in order to stop the coming evil. Which side will emerge victorious? Read on and find out for yourselves.

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><p>The setting sun turned the sky orange near Terra Bogaton. The terra was the only thing visible for miles and was a beautiful complement with its green forests set against the scenery. No one would ever expect it to become a place filled with misery based on its image. But it was in that area where the greatest evil on Atmos was making its hideout.<p>

Every airship and sky ride belonging to all the Sky Knight squadrons was now en route to Terra Bogaton. After gathering the information from the Terradons, the forces of both Atmos and the Avatar's world were headed to the terra to do battle against the Dark Ace and his followers. It was all because of the efforts of the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group that every fighter from both worlds were joined together to stop the threat of the former elite Talon from causing despair and destruction.

It took some time before everyone set out to the terra to fight. Before anyone left, the Mechanist had used his previous knowledge of Skimmers based on the Storm Hawks' previous appearance in the other world to make every other sky ride perform more efficiently in battle. Aang had also come up with an idea that he thought would be useful, and every Atmosian fighter could not wait until they would show the Dark Ace the new tactic.

All along the skies the airships and sky rides flew peacefully in synchronization. The larger carriers were all carrying people from the Avatar's world as passengers. When the time would come for the ships to dock on Terra Bogaton, they would all come out as one large army and march on the Dark Ace's forces. They all would work like a well-oiled machine when it would come to fighting.

* * *

><p>Onboard the <em>Condor<em>, the Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group were all in the bridge getting ready for the upcoming battle: Aerrow and his team got their weapons ready while donning their armour with Starling doing the same, Aang and the others each struck Bending stances to make sure their bodies were in top condition, and Sokka was busily sharpening his weapons with a whetstone.

Outside on the runway, Appa was also ready for battle with his armour placed over his large body. A loud growl came from his mouth as he rode on the ship to show it as his own way of his willingness to fight.

Aerrow thought that it was at that time he should talk to his friends before the fighting started. "This is it, guys," he said. "After a lot of hard work, we're finally facing off against the Dark Ace in one big showdown."

"Tell us something we don't know," said Finn.

"Oh, I know plenty of things you don't know," said Stork. "But you don't ever want to find out about them, because they would leave you in fear for the rest of your life."

The blonde sharpshooter looked at the Merb and blinked, thinking that Stork was just being the paranoid lunatic he always was.

"To be honest," said Katara, "I've kind of been dreading that this battle would come. I know that it's for the good of Atmos, but all we've been through has made me wonder if we're really up for this. Sometimes I just wish that I wouldn't ever have to fight."

The red-haired teen walked up to the girl. "Listen, Katara," he said, "I don't think any of us were ever prepared for what was to happen. Two days ago I was hoping that I would get the chance to show you, Aang and the others a peaceful time on Atmos. This whole thing with the Dark Ace coming back was beyond our control, but sometimes I just gotta take whatever life gives me because that's all part of the Sky Knight's job: to expect the unexpected."

"Aerrow's right," said Piper. "Not one of us would choose to go down the path of violence but it's our duty to protect Atmos in any way. I'm sure that you've felt like this back in your world, so you've just got to assure yourself that it's for the right reasons. Besides, you've helped us stop the Dark Ace before, so it would only make sense that we could do it again."

Aang felt like he could relate to Piper's words. Being raised an Air Nomad had taught him to respect all life no matter what form it took or however it aligned itself. But as the Avatar, he was sworn to maintain balance even if he was forced to resort to extreme measures. It was truly evident for him when he fought against Ozai for the fate of his world. "Well," he said, "one thing's for sure: I certainly had a great time exploring Atmos, even though it wasn't as I had pictured it."

"Me too," said Sokka. "And I was kind of hoping that we would get to see it a little better once this is all over."

"We can dream, Sokka," said Zuko. "But right now we've got a promise to keep to the people of Atmos, or else there might not be a world left to visit."

Aerrow nodded in agreement to the Fire Lord's statement. "Is everything ready?"

"As ready as they're ever going to be," said Starling. "The Kyoshi Warriors are all waiting in the hangar bay along with Mai. And I think it's time we get ready ourselves."

Junko looked out the window and spotted something that made him gasp in surprise. "Uh, guys?" he said. "When was the last time you remember seeing a huge barrier around Terra Bogaton?"

"What?" Aerrow said confusedly.

The Wallop pointed out the windshield, and everyone walked up to see if he was telling the truth. Everyone soon let out a gasp in disbelief as they couldn't believe their eyes: Terra Bogaton was indeed covered in a large red barrier. The glow from the barrier had now turned the sky a deep red much like where Cyclonia once stood. It was both amazing and horrifying to the group.

"I don't believe it," said Aang. "The Dark Ace actually managed to protect his hideout from us."

"It figures that he would hide away like the big chicken he is," said Toph.

"Now what do we do?" said Piper. "That barrier will prevent us from landing on the terra."

"It looks like we have no other option," said Aerrow. "We'll have to take this battle to the skies and see if we can knock out that barrier. Let's get to our rides while Aang and his crew board Appa."

Everyone nodded and began to walk to the hangar bay, but Sokka stood behind and stopped Toph with his hand. The others all stood there perplexed by their friend's unwillingness to join them.

"What are you doing?" asked the blind girl.

"I don't think we'll be much help out there," replied the boy. "All I've got is my sword skills, which are pretty much useless in an air battle, and you've got no earth to Bend. I think our best bet is to stay here until we'll be able to go down to that terra."

"You're not the boss of me!" shouted Toph.

"No," said Katara, "I think he's right. You two will be defenceless out in the sky, and I don't want either of you to get hurt. Please, stay here until the real battle comes."

Toph huffed when she realized that the two siblings made valid points. But she still wanted to be part of it, and staying on the ship was just going to make her feel like deadweight. "Fine," she said. "You guys go out there and do your things while we stay here and twiddle out thumbs."

The others truly felt bad for their friends for staying behind but knew they had no choice if they were to keep them safe. So without glancing back, they walked out of the bridge and headed for the hangar bay.

Stork, meanwhile, looked momentarily at the two and sighed in exasperation, hoping that Sokka and Toph weren't going to start complaining while they remained in the _Condor_.

* * *

><p>The Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group had flown off the ship after getting on their preferred methods of travel. Aerrow narrowed his eyes as he stared at Bogaton. He knew that the Dark Ace was in there and already formulating his plan for attack from behind the barrier. The suspense was soon getting to the Sky Knight and he couldn't wait to personally go down there and finish off his most hated adversary of all time.<p>

Everyone flying soon came to a stop before the barrier. The energy started to pulse right before them like heat radiating from an open flame.

"I don't know how we're gonna get through that," said Piper. "It feels like it could withstand just about anything we throw at it."

"I'm sure there's a way," said Aerrow. "Everything has a weakness, so it'll just take some time until we find it."

Just then, everybody paused when sinister laughter filled their ears. From what they could hear, it was coming right above them, and there they saw an image forming of the Dark Ace that spanned high above the barrier. All over the sky, every Sky Knight squadron narrowed their eyes in hatred at the man who revealed himself to them, and all they wanted was to show the former Talon the strength of their combined forces.

The Dark Ace stopped his laughter and looked down at the resistance like they were ants compared to his size. "Well," he said, "your time is up. Are you going to give me your answer?"

Aerrow was the one who replied. "Yes, we will!" he shouted. "Our answer is that we will _never_ bow down to a black-hearted fiend like you!"

The man looked down to stare at the Storm Hawks' Sky Knight. "Oh, Aerrow, how naïve can you truly be? Even if you combined everybody on Atmos here, there is still no way you could ever stop me."

"You're right," said the red-haired teen. "That's why we've got people from the other world to back us up! We're all here to show you that we're not gonna put up with your malevolent ideals, and we will make Atmos safe once again!"

All over the skies, everyone shouted in cheers to back up the words of the teenage boy who spoke for them. It was like a giant choir had joined in with its follower.

Once again, the Dark Ace emitted laughter that ended the cheering and made the army look up in anger. The very idea that the man was mocking their force was an insult to them and they were desperate to take out their rage on him and his followers.

"Oh, that's too much," said the Dark Ace. He ended his laughter and looked back down at the Storm Hawks. "Well, I must admit that you've got tenacity, but even that's not going to get all of you very far. If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get. Just don't say I didn't warn you!"

The image of the Dark Ace faded and was replaced with a wave of light that took shape into multiple forms. Everyone looked with stunned faces as the forms changed into human-like figures that were all garbed in red crystal armour and had wings protruding from their back also made out of crystal. Aerrow and his friends already knew they were exactly like the fighters the Dark Ace sent after them on Terra Neverlandis, so they knew that they did not pose much of a threat.

"All right, everyone," said Aerrow. "Those of you on sky rides will deal with the lackeys while the ships blast away at the barrier. Hopefully it'll be enough to get to the terra." Raising a lit dagger with his left hand, the Sky Knight then shouted, "For Atmos!"

"For Atmos!" shouted everyone else in unison.

All at once, both sides began their attack. The mighty ships fired off crystal pulses headed straight for the barrier. Each hit battered against the energy field with the intention of trying to dissolve it around Bogaton. The barrier showed no signs of wearing down but the fighters of Atmos would not halt their attack until they all broke through to the other side.

The Dark Ace's crystal warriors flew down and started to attack the people on their sky rides. With their crystal-powered weapons drawn, every Sky Knight squadron either slashed or blasted their way through the army and made them disintegrate into nothing once their bodies were struck with ferocity.

But more and more soldiers kept flying through the barrier and swooping into the battle to replace their fallen allies. Relentless in their numbers, the crystal warriors fired red energy pulses that managed to hit a few sky rides and forced their operators to jump off and deploy their parachutes to make a safe landing in the Wasteland.

Aerrow flew his Skimmer into a group of crystal warriors headed his way. He looked at Radarr sitting next to him and nodded, which indicated that they were to start their plan of attack. The boy stood on the wings of his sky ride while his co-pilot took over the controls. The Sky Knight and the warriors were getting closer, and so Aerrow stood on the portside wing with one dagger ignited. By Radarr's command, the Skimmer did a barrel roll that created swirling crystal energy from Aerrow's blade. Upon reaching the crystal warriors, they were sliced to pieces when the blade sped through them. Aerrow and Radarr saw the enemies they faced were gone, so the Sky Knight resumed control and laughed while he flew off to find more enemies to fight.

Piper had already gotten out the crystals she would normally use for Binding. Numerous energy pulses were speeding towards her, but she held up the crystals and used her powers as a crystal mage to create a shield around her and her Heliscooter. The attacks were absorbed by the shield and Piper used the energy to deflect the attacks back at her opponents, causing them to turn into dust the instant it hit their bodies.

Both Finn and Junko were taking turns in fighting off the crystal warriors. The blonde sharpshooter had his retractable crossbow ready and kissed a bolt before placing it on his weapon and firing off shots that directly hit their targets to destroy them.

It was now Junko's turn, and he brought up the missiles he kept within his Skimmer's wings. One missile was fired and made an explosion that was able to destroy the group of soldiers that he faced.

"Are we awesome or what?" said Finn.

"What's what?" asked Junko.

The marksman just rolled his eyes at his friend's question to his figure of speech.

Starling flew the _Red Streak_ into a group of crystal warriors with her blasters drawn. She was able to hit a few of the soldiers but the rest flew above her to disperse in different directions. The Interceptor looked up at them and sneered, thinking that she wasn't going to let her enemies get away so easily. An idea soon came to her and so she drew her nunchucks. After doing a backflip in the air, Starling grunted with force as she swung her weapon around in each direction that hit every warrior that got away from her. The warriors broke up into pieces and the purple-haired Sky Knight landed back in her sky ride and chuckled over her victory.

Aang had flown Appa into a group of the crystal warriors. Energy pulses came in fast from the enemies' side, but each shot bounced off against the armour over the sky bison's body. It was holding well for Appa but it was making him rather irritated.

"Keep it together, buddy," said Aang. The last thing he needed was his companion going berserk while he was still carrying passengers.

"It's time that we fight back," said Zuko.

"I couldn't agree with you more," said Katara.

Appa got closer to the crystal warriors, and Aang, Katara and Zuko were getting ready to strike. Through all the energy pulses that were being fired, Aang saw an opening and grunted as he swung his staff down. A large gust of air sped into the oncoming group of soldiers and made them fly to the sides after a few of them were bisected by the air's sharp edge.

"Now!" shouted the Avatar.

Immediately, Katara commanded the water from the clouds to go after the soldiers flying on her side. The water covered the bodies of the crystal warriors and was transformed into ice. With their wings frozen and their bodies given added weight from the ice, the soldiers plummeted into the Wasteland never to be seen again.

Zuko held out his hands and shouted as he fired a jet of flame from his palms that travelled through the sky while he rode on Appa. The soldiers flew into the flame's trajectory and were incinerated by the intense heat.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the <em>Condor<em> continued to fire blasts from its cannons while the crystal warriors circled around the ship to strike it down. Some of the soldiers were destroyed by the blasts from the ship's weapons while others were being struck down by random shots from the other ships. Eventually, some of the warriors had gotten onto the runway and began to forcefully open the hangar bay doors.

The _Condor's_ alarms were already going off when the crystal warriors had gotten inside, but then they were met with a surprise as one was knocked to the floor by a fan that hit it in the side of its face. Standing in the hangar bay were the Kyoshi Warriors along with Mai.

"Big mistake," said Suki.

The soldiers ignored the threatening word from the girl and immediately ran into the ship with their arms already fashioned into blades.

In response, the Kyoshi Warriors already drew their swords and ran in to slash away at their foes. Ty Lee, meanwhile, used her chi-blocking skills to locate the pressure points on the soldiers even though they were not flesh. Still, she struck one area with two fingers extended and the soldier collapsed into bits of crystal dust right before her eyes. A smile formed on her face when she saw these enemies were built like humans and still had the same weak points she knew where to hit.

Mai stood where she was as four soldiers advanced on her. A smile slowly crept on her face while she would prepare herself for what she was going to do, and the enemies she faced would have no idea what hit them.

The soldiers raised their arms to fire blasts, but Mai was already taking initiative and hurled stilettos concealed within her robe. Each soldier was struck down when the blades pierced through their armour and made them fall to the floor where they shattered upon impact.

"I knew Zuko would need me," the girl said smugly.

Suki and her fellow warriors continued to fight off the crystal warriors on the hangar bay, but more of them were already coming in and they were worried that they could not hold them off for much longer. The soldiers that just came into the ship took this opportunity to fly over the Kyoshi Warriors and head straight for the door that led into the other areas of the _Condor_.

"Oh no!" said Suki. She then remembered that she could warn the others in this room so she shouted, "Sokka! We've got company!"

* * *

><p>Sokka and Toph were patrolling the halls of the <em>Condor<em> to protect it until they had gotten to Terra Bogaton. They had just heard the call from their friend and were getting ready to keep them at bay as the boy drew his sword and the girl got into an Earthbending stance.

Just then, they could hear flapping sounds from down the hallway, and Sokka's face showed absolute terror as the soldiers came in a large swarm. They all settled down on the floor once they faced their foes and began to aim their hands to fire.

Toph immediately felt the vibration on the metal floor, so she acted quickly and pulled up the section in front of her to protect herself and Sokka. Energy pulses came fast and struck the improvised shield, but each attack would bend the metal backward and would eventually leave the two exposed.

"How are we supposed to fight them?" said Sokka.

"Like this!" replied Toph.

The blind girl had then pounded her fists on the floor to both her sides, and the result was the metal shooting up from under three soldiers and crushing them between the floor and the roof. The floor was lowered back down and Sokka rushed in to slash the remaining warriors, and Toph also joined by Bending metal to her arms that she used to club her foes.

But the warriors still kept coming down the hallway and flew right past Sokka and Toph. The Water Tribe boy already knew where they were headed and realized that their one friend would be left defenceless.

"Some of those things are headed for the bridge!" said Sokka.

Toph struck down another soldier and said, "Go! I'll deal with these lamebrains while you protect Stork!"

Sokka felt bad to leave his friend to face off against the remaining warriors by herself but knew that she could handle them. He quickly turned on his heel and ran towards the bridge.

When the boy had finally gotten there, he could see Stork screaming in fear when the warriors walked slowly towards him with their blades extended. Immediately, Sokka ran inside and held out his blade to his side. With a mighty swing, he bisected the soldiers by their waists and let them disintegrate.

The Merb smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close one," he said.

"No kidding," replied Sokka.

The two were about to celebrate their victory when another group of soldiers had flown their way into the room. Both Sokka and Stork were now paralyzed when they saw the crystal warriors aim their hands up and were getting ready to fire, and there was nothing they could do since they were too far away to do anything to stop them.

Sokka thought this was the end for him and Stork when he noticed that the soldiers were all standing on the Storm Hawks' insignia on the floor. Thinking back to when he first met the Sky Knight squadron on their ship, he remembered how he accidentally sent Stork flying from the ship by pulling one of the levers at the controls. He had been informed that this _Condor_ was new, but remembered that it was built exactly like the old one, so he reached for the lever he once pulled.

"So long, suckers!" Sokka said in a sly tone.

The lever was pulled down, and the soldiers all stopped when they felt the floor shift under their feet. The springboard then lifted the warriors out of the _Condor_ through the roof where they were blasted by a shot from another ship.

Stork laughed to himself when he saw that he was saved again by his friend. "Thanks, Sokka," he said.

"No problem," said the Water Tribe boy. "So, does this mean I get to touch things on the _Condor_ now?"

The Merb narrowed his eyes, thinking the boy was crazy to act such a stupid request. "Don't push your luck."

* * *

><p>Back in the skies, the battle raged on with every fighter continuing to either combat against the crystal warriors or try to break through the barrier. The soldiers still kept coming to replace the ones that had been destroyed, and shot after shot was fired at the barrier but still it held strong. It was now becoming hectic and nobody thought they could carry it on for much longer.<p>

Aerrow fired pulses from his blades at the Dark Ace's soldiers and saw that they were no closer than when they started. "This is pointless," he said. "We won't get anywhere until that barrier is down. If only we had a powerful weapon at our disposal."

No sooner did the Sky Knight say those words when a powerful crystal pulse struck the barrier. The energy exploded in purple light and made the force field ripple from the sheer impact that made it look as though it was strong enough to destroy it.

Aerrow and the others all stopped in the sky and looked at what fired the attack. Looking around, they all stood wide-eyed at the source. The Storm Hawks and Starling all smiled while Aang, Katara and Zuko stood dumbfounded.

"I don't believe it," said Piper.

"What is that?" asked Aang.

"It's just what we needed," replied Aerrow.

The group saw a cluster of ships coming into the battle. They were all long and were larger in comparison to all the other ships and they each had what looked to be metal faces on their bows. The one ship leading had a dark red hull that fired off crystal pulses from its sides, and the face on the front had yellow eyes with large fangs formed into a crude smile. The Storm Hawks all knew they were Murk Raider ships that were being led by Captain Scabulous' vessel, the _Blood Crow_.

* * *

><p>Inside the <em>Blood Crow<em>, Scabulous looked out at Bogaton to see that the barrier was still standing, but a smirk crossed his face as he knew that it would not be for long if his ships continued firing their most powerful weapons.

"Captain," said Eyeball, "we've got the cannon loaded again."

"Then let's not waste another second," said Scabulous. "Fire!"

* * *

><p>All the Murk Raider ships then fired shots from their main cannons. The result was an array of purple explosions bursting on the side of the barrier where they struck. Everyone in the sky could feel the power surging with each hit that collided.<p>

But then, they all looked in awe as the attacks had finally caused the barrier to ripple like a leaf falling in a pond. The shaking kept going faster and faster until at last the barrier shattered from the numerous impacts it received. Terra Bogaton was now left wide open.

"The barrier's down!" shouted Aerrow. "Now's our chance!"

Seeing that they were now clear to land, the forces of Atmos flew down to Terra Bogaton to begin their attack. Every sky ride and airship landed near Repton's lair, knowing that was the most likely place where the Dark Ace would be hiding. All the people within each ship, both from Atmos and the Avatar's world, rushed out once the ships had landed and began to fight the crystal warriors.

When Aerrow got off his Skimmer, he happened to notice the _Blood Crow_ was right next to the _Condor_. Out came Captain Scabulous with the rest of his band of pirates with their weapons drawn. The red-haired teen was compelled to see what made the Murk Raiders suddenly change their views about aiding Atmos.

"I thought you said that it was too late for you to turn back," said Aerrow.

Scabulous looked at the boy with his reasons for joining the fight already in mind. "That blowhard put fear in ev'ry person in Atmos," he said. "That's our job! And I'm gonna be buried in the cold ground before I let that happen."

Aerrow nodded in compliance with the Murk Raider captain, glad to see some more help in the fight despite his reason. And with that, everyone charged on the crystal warriors.

The Dark Ace's soldiers then marched on the ground with their hands extended, ready to attack when their targets were within range. It was then that the forces of Atmos banded together and faced their enemies with unyielding fury burning in their hearts.

"All right, everyone," said Aang. "Remember what we've taught you, and fight for freedom!"

The crystal warriors then fired their energy pulses, and the Earth Kingdom fighters came out first to protect the army by raising a wall from the ground. The pulses started to break down the defense, but then Junko, the Wallops and the Buff Buzzards came up and raised their hands, concentrating hard as they remembered the lesson they learned before heading off into battle.

The earth beneath the soldiers then started to rumble, and then dozens of stalagmites shot up from the ground that skewered the Dark Ace's minions where they shattered upon impact.

"They did it!" Junko shouted proudly.

Aerrow cheered at the sudden display, knowing that Aang's idea to use his Energybending on every Atmosian fighter to learn how to Bend was sheer genius. Now he truly felt confident that they were going to win this battle.

It wasn't over as more crystal warriors advanced to replace their fallen comrades. Aerrow, Aang, the Rebel Ducks and the Rex Guardians were the first ones to respond, and they each brought their hands together and moved them in circular motions to create tornadoes. When they were ready, they unleashed their Airbending moves on the warriors that spiralled them into the sky and sent them careening into each other where they broke into pieces.

Katara came out and used whatever water she had left from the cloud earlier to bring down to her level. Right next to her stood the Waterbenders of her world, Piper, the Neck Deeps and the Absolute Zeroes, and they moved their hands around to manipulate the water into a large gush. The water swept the crystal warriors away in a riptide where they were immediately frozen by the command of the Waterbenders. They were then quickly dispatched by Hakoda's men when they moved in and struck them down.

A group of crystal warriors had then faced the Fire Nation fighters along with the Third Degree Burners and the Screaming Queens. Both the Sky Knight squadrons and the Firebenders smirked in delight when they saw the advancing foes. Just before the crystal warriors were about to fire their energy pulses, the forces of Atmos all extended their fists and unleashed large jets of flame that reduced the warriors to ashes.

The plains of Terra Bogaton were now filled with non-stop combat as every person who came to it was now fighting for their side: the forces of Atmos to save their world, and the Dark Ace's crystal warriors to punish the ones who would stop them. The sky was lit up with the energy of crystal-powered weapons clashing or with the powers of the elements. Slowly, the Atmosian fighters and the armies of the Avatar's world were getting closer to where they needed to be.

Tritonn pierced a crystal warrior with a giant icicle and then turned to face the Storm Hawks along with the Avatar's group. "We can handle things here, mates," he said. "You've got bigger fish ta fry."

Aerrow heard the call from his fellow Sky Knight and knew that what he said was true. The only way they had any chance of ending this battle was to get to the source and take it down for good. "We're counting on you," he said. Turning to his friends, he told them what was going to happen. "Let's find the Dark Ace and put an end to this!"

The rest of the group all nodded with agreement to the red-haired teen's idea, so they left the battle in the capable hands of their comrades and ran their way to Repton's lair with Aerrow leading the way.

In his mind, Aerrow kept telling himself that he was ready, that he was going to fight the Dark Ace because he believed in himself and in his friends. They could not back down at this point, especially not after everything they had experienced and after everything they worked so hard to achieve for what happened at that moment. And he also knew that any doubts he had would be dangerous, so he had to think positive.

Everyone was almost within reaching the lair when laughter filled their ears. They immediately halted in their tracks and looked up ahead to see several figures blocking the entrance just as lightning flashed in the sky. Aerrow and the others all clenched their teeth when they saw it to be the Dark Ace's followers: Carver, Domiwick, Ravess, Snipe, the Raptors, Long Feng, and Hama.

"You didn't think we'd let you face the Dark Ace without having to go through us, did you?" said Carver.

Finn sighed in annoyance. "Just when we thought things were going smoothly…"

Aerrow narrowed his eyes in anger and looked at the malicious figures standing before him and his team. He knew that it was a major hindrance but he would make sure that they were dealt with strictly.

* * *

><p>BlueTiger321: Uh oh! You can already tell the next chapter is gonna kick butt! So folks, please stay tuned, and please make sure to read and review!<p> 


	22. Chapter 22: Rivalries

Chapter 22: Rivalries

BlueTiger321: Yes, folks! After a long hiatus, I'm finally back to finish this story! And it's about time too, because I've been going over the final few chapters for quite a while. So I'm not going to waste any more time, so I'll just stop writing and let you see for yourselves!

* * *

><p>The two opposing factions stood across the field, only a mile from Repton's lair where the Dark Ace had kept himself away from the action that happened on the terra. Each fighter on either side looked on and felt their hatred for one another growing to exponential heights. There was a reason why every one of them had become rivals, and now it was about to come down to this moment when they would decide who would finally be the ones to come out on top while the other would be nothing but a memory.<p>

For Aerrow especially, his rivalry with Carver was something that had almost consumed him. If it hadn't been for his betrayal and turning over to the side of the Cyclonians so long ago, he actually thought that they could end up working together on the same side. But Aerrow knew that he was only kidding himself when he knew that no one so arrogant and selfish could ever become someone who fights for the side of justice—and it was also his duty as a Sky Knight to bring down someone who's views were so despicable.

Carver saw that the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group were not going to make their move; they had only stood their ground with the same angered expressions when they arrived. It was starting to get boring for him so he walked up with his shoulders raised and his head held high like he was the master and his enemies his subjects. "Well, this is quite a standoff," he said. "All of us here with our own private space while everyone else are fighting for survival. What's really strange about this is that we each have different things set out in our minds: you want to get to the Dark Ace, and we want to pulverize you all into tiny mounds of mush." The man then shook his head while taking enjoyment in what he said. "Now this is a conundrum. What ever shall we do about it?"

"I've had enough of you, Carver!" said Aerrow. "Why you and the rest of these chumps joined with the Dark Ace I'll never know, but I can't believe that you would let him boss you around like this."

"Seriously," added Katara. "Whatever he's promised you is probably a trick. There's no way that you'll get what you want because he doesn't seem like the kind of person who makes deals with anyone."

"Silence!" Repton shouted to the Waterbender. "What makes you and the rest of your crew any different than us? The Storm Hawks have dragged you and everyone from your world into battle, but have you ever considered if it's any of your concern?"

Ravess laughed at the remark. "Indeed," she said. "The way I see it, Aerrow is probably just like the Dark Ace. I'm sure he gave you reasons for getting involved in this just like we did from our leader."

The boy Sky Knight then widened his eyes as though he had witnessed something truly awful. After hearing what Ravess said about him, it made him feel like that he was just as heartless as the Dark Ace. There truly was no need for the people of the Avatar's world to take part in the war for Atmos and now he was starting to wonder if he really was the kind of person he set out to be.

Piper could see the worry on her friend's face and she could already tell that Aerrow's mind was going through torment beyond comprehension. "Aerrow, don't listen to her," she said. "She's only trying to psyche you out."

"Aw, what's wrong?" Carver said in a mocking tone. "Is the fearless leader having doubts about himself? Then it just goes to show you that he was never Sky Knight material!" A cruel laughter came out from Carver that carried over the rest of his allies and made them laugh as well as if it were a contagious disease. The laughter continued for a few seconds until another shout came from the other side.

"You're wrong!" said Aang. "Aerrow didn't drag me into anything, and that goes for the rest of us. We're friends of the Storm Hawks and we choose to be here to defend this world and ours from the likes of you!"

All at once, Aang's friends had nodded in approval to agree with what the boy said. Although they never got to say what was on their minds, the Avatar put it in words that were even better than what they were ever going to say.

Long Feng merely shook his head by the act displayed from the other group. "I think the time for talking is over. Now, what say we deal with this swiftly?" By his command, the man lifted his hands to make walls of earth rise and surround the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group.

Toph already knew what was going to happen while the others were left gawking. Thinking fast, the girl raised her own walls to intercept the attacks. It had come at the right moment when the walls summoned by Long Feng moved quickly along the ground and carved a path along the way, but Toph's defense had protected the group where she followed up with a shout and forced away the earth walls that shattered them and left them as large pieces on the ground. Dust had flown around and clouded everyone's vision from the attack and left them in coughing fits when their lungs tried to breathe in fresh air.

Suddenly, a shout was heard and Aerrow instinctively thrust out his hands to command his Airbending to sweep away the dust. The moment his vision was clear was when he took a defensive stance for Carver had jumped out and came slashing down with his dagger. Aerrow unsheathed his own daggers and blocked the attack. Sparks flew as the two crystal-powered weapons clashed against each other, but Carver used his superior strength to push against Aerrow, and the boy grunted with force while trying to hold his ground. But Aerrow knew that he could always think of a solution out of any problem, so he kept staring at Carver while secretly stomping one foot on the ground. The result was a column of earth rising underneath Carver and sending him straight into the sky where he backflipped and landed away from the boy where he was joined with his comrades.

Each member of both forces was now staring down at their chosen rival: Aerrow against Carver; Piper against Domiwick; Finn against Ravess; Junko against Snipe; Starling against Repton; Aang, Sokka and Zuko against Spitz, Lugey and Hoerk; Toph against Long Feng; and Katara against Hama. One by one, each of them narrowed their eyes, hoping for the other to make the first move. Eventually, Ravess started by firing an arrow at the ground that made Aerrow and his allies jump either to the left or right while the arrow continued on its course and made a small explosion.

The battle had begun, and each force charged on each other while shouting a battle cry that was weaker in comparison to the battle happening elsewhere on the terra.

Aerrow and Carver once again locked blades with each other. The red-haired teen was going to try another Bending tactic like last time, but Carver already thought that something like it was going to happen so he quickly jumped out of the way just before Aerrow brought up a jet of flame from his foot that missed its mark.

It was now Carver's turn to take the offensive, so he aimed his dagger and fired off a few quick energy pulses with shouts like he wanted Aerrow completely obliterated on the spot. The blasts from Carver never hit Aerrow as the boy used his ingenuity to raise walls of earth to protect himself from each attack. But the blasts were so powerful that they broke away every wall upon making contact, and they were coming so fast that Aerrow could barely keep up with them. Carver was getting so fed up with the attacks that he grunted and thought of a new strategy. Plunging his dagger into the ground, he sent a line of red energy down towards Aerrow who leapt into the air after blasting off with Airbending.

"Not this time!" said Carver and fired another pulse at the red-haired teen.

Aerrow saw the attack heading for him and gasped with fright, knowing that he had no way to defend himself in time. The blast struck him in the chest and sent him to the ground shouting all the way until he hit it with a thud. Pain wracked his body while Carver's laughter filled his ears, but all he could do was wait until his body would stop feeling so agonizing or until he would take the sweet embrace of death.

Piper and Domiwick clashed their own weapons against each other, neither one showing any superior skills. The sound of metal clanging was all that could be heard when the girl's staff struck the man's crystal-powered saber. It came to the point where Domiwick slashed vertically in front and Piper brought up her staff to defend against the attack. Domiwick forced his weight down on Piper and she pushed back with all her might.

"You know," said Piper, "it's no surprise that you're working for the Dark Ace: you'll always do anything to save yourself! I can't believe I ever looked up to you!" The girl had then gained some ground by pushing so hard against Domiwick that he nearly fell on his back where she jumped away from him until there was enough space between the two.

"You really believe I would be that selfish?" said Domiwick while brushing hair away from his eyes. "My dear girl, you don't know anything about me. By proving the existence of everything I've explored, I've become a legend."

The remark said by Domiwick had enraged Piper so much that she could not take any more of his arrogant ramblings. "I know that you went to Terra Aquanos to search for an entrance to the Farside! Putting innocent people in danger like that just proves that you don't care about anyone's well-being but your own! You're no legend; you're just a snobbish, glory-seeking jerk!"

Domiwick only hunched his shoulders while showing an apathetic look. It didn't matter what one girl thought of him as long as he would get the glory he sought. Grunting with fury, he resumed his battle with Piper.

Finn took aim against Ravess with his crossbow and fired a bolt, feeling sure about himself that it was going to hit. His hope was soon broken when Ravess's arrow tore through the bolt like tissue paper and headed straight for Finn. The blonde sharpshooter emitted a girly scream while getting away from the arrow and jumped when the explosion came from behind him. He was soon forced to run even faster when a volley of arrows was headed in his direction. Finn felt lucky enough to not get hit by a single arrow but knew that it would eventually run out if it were to continue. Still he ran hoping for one of his friends to come to his aid.

But not even his closest friend Junko could help him. The Wallop was already having trouble of his own by facing off against Snipe. The brute swung the spiked ball of his mace around on its chain and then flung it at his target. Junko stared intently at the ball and waited for the right time just as Toph instructed to him. When it was nearly within range of striking him, Junko stomped a foot on the ground that sent up a column of earth exactly where the spiked ball was and knocked it into the air.

Snipe retracted the ball to his mace and sneered at the Wallop who laughed at him for making him look like a fool. It eventually got so annoying for Snipe that he merely aimed his mace at Junko and fired a red crystal pulse.

Junko was too busy laughing to notice the attack coming, so he shouted in pain and took the pulse in the chest where he crashed onto the ground. He tried to get up and face his opponent again, but Snipe had jumped on him and landed on his chest, pinning him to the ground and forcing him to look up with fear in his eyes.

"This is gonna be good," Snipe said, savouring the moment of crushing his foe.

Repton stared down Starling while his brothers continued fighting against Aang, Sokka and Zuko behind him. For the Raptor leader, defeating this woman was going to be a huge triumph for him. Not only had she beaten him in battle, taken one of the shields on his wall and made him look like a fool, but it felt more humiliating for him that she did it to him on his own terra. He was certainly not going to show her any sympathy when the time would come to end her life; he was going to tear her apart and feast on her bones. "Get ready, Interceptor," he said. "I'm going to do to you what I did to your squad members tenfold!"

Starling held up her nunchucks and ignited them to cast the purple energy at the tips. For her, she was going to relish in beating down Repton in the name of her squadron who boldly gave their lives to uphold their purpose. With a smirk, she said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The Raptor leader complied with the woman's remark and leapt into the air with his boomerang ignited. It was going to be a battle that he would not soon forget.

While the other battles were transpiring, Toph faced off against Long Feng. To the man, he felt that the girl and her friends were responsible for toppling his regime over Ba Sing Se, and it was his right to punish them for it—and it would all start by eliminating the first child he saw. Long Feng got into a wide Earthbending stance and spread out his arms, causing the earth to rumble.

Toph smirked and could sense what her opponent was doing, thinking that it was foolish to stop her with earth when it was clearly her strength. She slid a bare foot over the ground in front of her and sank into the earth just before slabs of rock collided together where she once stood.

Long Feng gasped at his failed attempt for a quick victory, but what made him more afraid was the rumbling he felt at his feet. The earth beneath him suddenly exploded and sent him sprawling away as he emitted a scream. Long Feng finally stopped a few feet away to see Toph standing proud with a smug smile on her face. But Long Feng wasn't going to go down so easily. He then stood back up and stomped his feet to raise stones that levitated before his face and grunted as he shot each stone through the air, hoping that would catch the girl off guard due to her blindness.

The stones came hurling towards Toph while she stood motionless. In an utter display of feeling pity for the man, she shook her head and blocked each stone as if they were harmless insects flying toward her. Seeing it had infuriated Long Feng; no matter what he did it could not stop the girl.

"Did you honestly think you could beat me with Earthbending?" said Toph. "I use it all the time: it's what makes me who I am!"

Long Feng narrowed his eyes and knew of how to stop his opponent. "You're right," he said. "So maybe I need to use something that doesn't make you who you are."

Then with a thrust of his hands, the man threw out two red crystal rings from within his sleeves. The first ring opened up and encased itself around Toph's ankles. Instinctively, Toph gasped in surprise and reached down to get rid of the restraint, but the second ring came by just as she reached down and grasped onto her wrists. Toph had no way to support her balance and so she toppled to the ground on her side.

The blind girl tried her best to break free but could feel energy surging from within the rings restraining her and sent bolts of red electricity coursing through her body; all she could do was shout as the rings caused her intense pain until it subsided.

"Struggle all you want," said Long Feng. "The more you do it, the more painful it will be. It's a little memento I got from the Dark Ace." He then advanced on the girl with his mind going through all the possible ways of finishing her off.

Meanwhile, Katara faced off against Hama, and the two Waterbenders had already fired off large streams of water they had bended out from the sparse foliage of Terra Bogaton. The attacks collided with each other until Katara's finally broke through, but Hama rose what little water she had around her and transformed it into ice. The water splashed against the frozen surface and ended up on the ground in a large puddle, which made Hama lower her defense and look at the teenage girl with spite-filled eyes.

"I don't understand why you couldn't let me serve my justice back in the Fire Nation," said Hama.

The words that Katara heard made her look at the old woman with even more hatred. "'Justice'?" she said. "You punished those people for crimes they didn't commit! That's not justice! That's oppression!"

"What difference does it make? The Fire Nation is full of people who thrive on the suffering of others. What I did was liberate myself from an ongoing torment I had to endure for many years! In doing so, I felt that I was saving everyone else in our world from those monsters."

Katara shook her head in defiance at the statement. "The Fire Nation isn't like that anymore. Zuko has done everything in his power to change the views of what people think about his kingdom. We no longer have to live in fear of the Fire Nation or think of its people as violent and ruthless."

The words rang through Hama's head and she merely dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "The actions of one can never change my views," she said. "I'll always be haunted by the memories of being locked up in that accursed cell for all those years."

Hama was about to say something else when she saw from the corner of her eye that Aang, Sokka and Zuko had just finished their battle with Repton's brothers with the Raptors lying on the ground. Spitz's head was whirling after being thrown around by a tornado, Lugey had been bruised after being beating senseless in a sword battle, and Hoerk had his entire body scorched from intense flames. The trio stood proudly at their combined victory and thought they would each get to assist their friends after picking off such easy foes.

The old woman smirked at the three boys and knew exactly what to do with them. Looking back at Katara she said, "But if I can't convince you, maybe they can." Her hand then reached within her clothes and she pulled out a small silver-coloured crystal that she set on the ground.

Katara watched as the crystal glowed with intense light. She did not know what it did but figured that Hama had probably acquired it from the Dark Ace, and she knew that it could only mean trouble for her. When the light washed over her body, she got a familiar feeling that it was like she had suddenly walked out on a moonlit night. That's when she gasped and realized that the crystal must contain moonlight, which was the source of strength for Waterbenders.

Hama laughed as she got a sudden surge of power flowing through her body like it was the night of a full moon, and she knew that she could use her strongest Waterbending technique even though it was daytime. She thrust her hands over to Aang, Sokka and Zuko, and the three of them shouted as they were whisked over to the woman as their own body fluids commanded them.

Katara was now filled with rage to see that Hama had used Bloodbending on her friends and her brother, thinking it was a vile and cowardly move. Now she would have to defeat her adversary while not trying to harm the people she cared about.

Carver stood over Aerrow, his eyes full of desire to see the person he hated most of all to be dealt with in the most painful way imaginable. And this time he was not going to waste any more time. "Goodbye, Aerrow," he said. He held his dagger high into the air and slashed downward to deliver the final blow. But just as the blade was about to make contact with the boy's flesh, Aerrow had suddenly awoken and rolled to the side.

Carver's weapon was stuck in the earth, causing the man to grunt as he pulled it out and aimed it at Aerrow who was a few feet away from him. Blast after blast was shot from Carver's blade, but Aerrow brought up his own daggers and deflected the blows. When he finally got an opening, the boy Sky Knight bent the water out from a tree behind Carver and used it to form the Water Whip. The water lashed itself onto Carver's leg and pulled him along the ground, causing him to shout furiously as his body scraped along the surface until he fired a pulse from his dagger to destroy the water surrounding his limb.

Aerrow got closer to Carver with his weapons extended, and Carver had gotten to his feet. To think of a new strategy, the man thought that he could bide his time by striking a conversation from the red-haired teen.

"I suppose this is where you're going to say that I'm probably a fool for betraying Atmos," said Carver.

"You didn't betray Atmos, Carver," replied Aerrow. "You betrayed yourself! You were a Sky Knight and you threw away your duties to side with Cyclonia! How could you ever live with yourself after selling out the very people you were sworn to protect?"

A small chuckle exited Carver's mouth since he knew full well the answer to the boy's question. "Sorry, but people change. I knew what the right choice was for Atmos. But now that doesn't matter anymore, because I only have one goal in mind: to make sure you and your Storm Hawks are history!" Carver extended his blade and fired another pulse when he was finished.

Aerrow saw the attack coming and brought his blades together. He focused on the crystal energy and then spread the blades apart to create a blue wave that dissipated the crystal pulse. When it was clear, Aerrow gasped when he saw Carver already jumping for him with his weapon high, so the boy Sky Knight locked his blades together and blocked the attack as the battle would resume.

Piper and Domiwick continued their battle and it appeared as though it was the same as when it had begun with neither fighter gaining the advantage over the other. The sounds of clanging metal rang through their ears as their weapons met with each strike. Domiwick once again pushed down on Piper with his saber, and the girl had managed to push back.

Domiwick was pushed so far back that he was forced over to a tree. Wiping his mouth, he stared at the girl and decided to give her a piece of his mind. "There's no way that you or your friends are ever going to win," he said. "The Dark Ace is going to see to that. Even if you get past me, you won't stand a chance against him. And when that happens, I'll finally have my glory!"

The crystal mage was fed up with the ravings coming from this man, and that's when she realized that she could finally take him down. With a smirk she said, "Don't you ever shut up?" Piper then reached out with one hand and got into a Waterbending stance and concentrated hard.

Domiwick stared at the girl oddly for what she was doing, but then he screamed in fright when something long and wet grasped his wrists and ankles. His eyes shifted to his back to see four Water Whips being bent out of the tree from behind him. The restraints forced Domiwick back and made him drop his saber in the process. When he was forced to stand against the tree, the water revolved around him and changed to ice by Piper's command. Domiwick shivered under his icy restraints and thought it was just like it was back when the Storm Hawks captured him in the _Condor_.

"Get me out of here!" Domiwick demanded. Before he could say anything else, more water was bent out of the tree and landed over his mouth where it was immediately changed to ice to keep him quiet.

Piper laughed in triumph, waved goodbye to Domiwick and set out to help her friends.

Meanwhile, Finn continued running cowardly and screaming in his typical girly fashion away from Ravess's onslaught of arrows. He had always tried numerously to overpower Ravess, but no matter what her arrows was always stronger than his bolts. So Finn could only do the one thing in this situation: run.

Ravess took great enjoyment from watching Finn's misery and it made her feel great pride in knowing that she would always get the better of him. After notching five more arrows into her bow, she let them loose and watched as Finn jumped out of the way just before they exploded on the ground from where he once stood. A flash of light was created by the explosion, and so Finn used the opportunity to hide behind a boulder.

Finn was breathing heavily while out of plain sight. The battle with Ravess was taking its toll on him and he could not think of any other way to defeat her. "Aw, man! What am I gonna do?" he said.

Just then, another of Ravess's arrows struck the ground near Finn's feet and made him slide away in fright. The arrow had not exploded like the others, which made the marksman feel lucky. But then looking at the arrow gave him the idea on how to stop the woman. He slowly picked it off the ground and held it close to his face. He gave a smile at the arrow, knowing that it would be what could save him.

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," said Finn.

Ravess slowly walked with grace with another arrow notched into her bow and a smug look on her face. "Come out, come out wherever you are," she called in a playful manner. She knew she had the boy cornered and it would only be a matter of time until she would win.

Finn complied with the request and revealed himself to Ravess with his crossbow in hand. "I'm over here!" he called back.

The call was heard and Ravess looked at the spot. She shook her head in pity for the boy for the foolish mistake he made but felt it was saving her the trouble of having to hunt him down. "Are you still going to use that pathetic weapon of yours? You shouldn't even bother."

"We'll see about that," Finn whispered to himself, knowing that his crossbow was loaded with something special.

Ravess aimed her arrow and waited for the right moment. Finn got his crossbow ready and got his targeting reticles out to focus on the arrow. Ravess fired first with Finn following soon afterward with a firebolt crystal-tipped arrow being shot from both attackers. They were of equal strength, but Finn's arrow managed to slice through the stem of Ravess's arrow and continue on its trajectory. Seeing this caused Ravess to gasp as her own arrow had failed, and so she was forced to hold up her bow in defense. The arrow hit its mark and made a small explosion in front of Ravess that broke her bow and sent her sprawling along the ground where she rested at the base of a boulder.

Ravess looked up with a groan of pain slipping out from her lips and then fell into unconsciousness.

Finn emerged as the victor. With his crossbow resting on his shoulder, he gave a cocky grin and blew imaginary smoke from his trigger finger. "Chica-cha!" he said and walked away to join his friends.

Snipe got close to Junko's face while still pinning him to the ground with his feet. A short chuckle escaped from his mouth while he patted his mace in his hand as he thought of what he was going to do. "You thought you could stop me with those fancy rock moves?" he said. "Well, I guess it's no surprise for someone as weak as you. You really are just a little gleep!"

Junko's face perked up when he heard the insult from Snipe. All the childhood memories of him being bullied suddenly flooded his mind, and all he could picture were all the other Wallop children pointing at him and calling him names. _"Gleep! Gleep! Gleep!"_ said the voices in Junko's head. It soon filled Junko with fury and he looked up at Snipe with a malicious stare.

The burly man was done taunting his prey, so he raised his mace and swiftly brought it down. But before Snipe was about to finish off Junko, he stopped when he suddenly got the wind knocked out of him. Junko had raised a fist and struck Snipe in the chest so hard that Snipe was forced to clutch his stomach in pain. The Wallop was not done as he headbutted the man in his nose, causing Snipe to stagger backward and off Junko.

Junko got back on his feet and charged Snipe with ferocity in his voice. For Snipe, it was as though he had fallen off a cliff as Junko delivered a series of swift punches so strong that he seemed to black out from the intense pain. The last thing he could remember was his vision becoming blurry and stars spinning around his head until he collapsed on the ground.

"I like gleeps, but nobody calls me one and gets away with it," said Junko to the unconscious Snipe. He dusted his hands clean and set out to help his friends.

Starling and Repton kept up their battle, both of them being fierce warriors. The Raptor leader slashed away with his boomerang while the Interceptor blocked each one with the cable that kept her nunchucks together. Repton even tried swiping at her with his claws and his tail in order to gain the advantage. Starling, however, gained the upper hand with her Firebending and so she blasted a fireball from her open palm that almost scorched Repton's scaly skin. The heat had caused Repton to back away and snarl at the woman for almost incinerating him.

"You haven't won yet!" said Repton. Summoning all his strength, the Raptor leader spiralled into the air as yellow crystal energy surged around him.

Starling already knew what was about to happen, so she backflipped while gathering her strength and leapt into the air spinning her nunchucks as purple crystal energy surged around her. In an instant, Repton released his weapon to fire his special Boomerang attack and Starling fired a purple energy pulse that was her Nunchucks Slash attack. The two moves collided with each other and made a small explosion in the air. When it subsided, Repton's boomerang rested on the ground.

(A/N: Credit goes to the _Storm Hawks Wikia_ for the names of the attacks.)

Starling landed on the ground when she was done performing her special move and said, "It seems that we're evenly matched."

"Don't be so sure," said Repton. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve." As the Raptor leader was talking, he reached behind his back and pulled out a yellow crystal, and then he swiftly brought it out in front of him to fire a bolt of yellow lightning.

The Interceptor was a bit surprised to see the attack but then remembered the last lesson Zuko had taught her. Dropping her nunchucks, she joined her hands together and brought them out with her index and middle fingers extended. The lightning struck her hands and was powerful enough to push her back, but she soon came to a stop and used her Firebending knowledge to redirect the attack. Carefully, Starling directed the lightning down her arm, across her stomach and shouted as she released the lightning out her other arm at Repton.

The lightning bolt sped its way back to Repton who could only gasp with fright until he was hit in the chest by his own attack. Repton screamed as he was blasted away from Starling and landed on his chest. Lightning still surged through his body until he lowered his head and went unconscious.

Starling slowly walked up to the Raptor leader with a stern look on her face. "_That_ was for my team!" she said and then walked away.

Elsewhere, Toph stood still on the ground while Long Feng advanced on her. The crystal restraints over her wrists and ankles had forced her to lay defenseless. Even moving the slightest inch would send electrical volts coursing through her body and cause her a great deal of agony. But what was more frightening was the thought of what Long Feng would do to her once he got close. She could feel his footsteps through the earth; the vibrations moving so slowly were torturous to her and made her wonder if the man would just end it quickly and spare her the fear.

"Don't fret," said Long Feng. "It will all be over soon. And when you're out of the way, I'm going to pick off your friends one by one."

Toph breathed heavily, focusing all her Earthbending on the restraints. Like earth, crystal was something that could be easily bent using her abilities, but she had to remain perfectly still and wait for the right moment as was the secret to Earthbending. Her skin felt the surface of the crystal and every minute mineral within it became clear to her just like when she learned how to bend metal. Her breathing slowed down and she could feel that she was gaining control, and now all that was left was to break free at the right time.

At last Long Feng approached her, and he levitated a large boulder over to him and held it high over Toph. "I would say goodbye to you," said the man, "but this has been far from anything being good." Long Feng lowered his hand and the boulder he bent was brought down by his command.

Everything in that instant changed. Toph broke out of her restraints and the crystal shattered like glass. Long Feng had no time to react to it as Toph quickly raised her hands to block the incoming boulder and grunted as she pushed against it. The colliding fists from the girl pushed the boulder back and hit Long Feng right in his chest where he was thrown across the field and landed on his back. The hit from the boulder was enough to knock him out and so he leaned his head to the side and closed his eyes.

Toph stood up and dusted herself off after attaining her victory. "I told you," she said, "it's useless to try to stop me with earth. But would you listen? _No_!" With her mind set, the blind girl walked away to rejoin her friends and hoped they were all right.

Katara dodged all the attacks made by her friends with relative ease. Aang, Sokka and Zuko were still under the influence of Hama's Bloodbending and there was nothing they could do about it except warn Katara about their unintended, incoming strikes.

"Katara, look out!" shouted Zuko as he was forced to throw a punch.

The young Waterbender ducked out of the way but then heard another cry. "Katara, behind you!" shouted Sokka. Katara had managed to sidestep from a sword slash from her brother.

"You've got to do something, Katara!" said Aang. "It's the only way you'll get us out of this!"

Katara knew that her friend spoke the truth, but even so tears formed on her eyes as she was powerless to stop her own friends from attacking her. Also, she could never allow herself to perform Bloodbending ever again, especially the night before when she used it on her own brother. "I don't know what to do," she said. "I feel so helpless."

In the distance, Hama laughed at the girl's misery. "You see, my dear? There is nothing you can do to stop me, not when I am at my most powerful!" Holding out her hands, the old woman commanded the boys to do her bidding.

Katara then yelped when she felt her arms being grabbed. Looking over to her sides had shown her that it was Aang and Zuko keeping her in place. The looks on their faces told Katara that they were very sorry about doing it but they had no choice; it was Hama who was forcing them. But what came next was the real surprise. Sokka moved slowly towards his sister and readied his sword to strike.

"No!" Aang and Zuko shouted in unison.

"Yes!" said Hama. "Now, finish her off!"

Sokka gritted his teeth as he was forced to raise his sword high over his head. He looked to see the tears cascading down his sister's face, and he could also feel tears forming on his eyes as well. The very thought of striking down his own sister was too much for him to bear—and that's when he would not take it anymore. Sokka's arm was swung down and he shouted with great fury when he concentrated all his will.

Katara looked away and expected the worst to happen. A few seconds later, she soon realized that the blade had not sliced through her body. Looking back to the front, she looked in astonishment when Sokka held the sword still over her and he looked to be resisting the command.

"What?" Hama said in disbelief. "No! This cannot be!" Anger soon took hold of her as she used her Bloodbending again. "I command to attack!"

Sweat beaded from Sokka's forehead as he fought back with all his might. Still, his arm would not move when he kept telling his body to not strike down. He then said in between deep breaths, "I… won't… let you… hurt… Katara!"

In one last act, Sokka shouted and used every fiber of his being to throw away his sword. The blade spun through the air and headed straight for the ground where the lunar crystal sat. Everyone watched as the sword cleaved through the crystal and a bright light erupted and disappeared. Hama then gasped when she could feel her power weakening after the crystal's destruction.

Immediately, Aang, Sokka and Zuko already felt they were back in control of their bodies, and they looked at the old woman with contempt for having used them to attack their friend. Feeling outnumbered, Hama turned around in an attempt to run away. But she yelped when a blast of water was shot to her back and forced her to the ground. Katara kept the water streaming to soak Hama and keep her pinned down until she would be captured.

"Now, Aang!" said the girl.

The Avatar got into an Earthbending stance and forced the earth around Hama's hands and feet to prevent her from Waterbending. The old woman grumbled up at the four children who stood over her.

"It's over," said Katara. "You'll never hurt another innocent person ever again." She looked down at the old woman, feeling that there was a point that she had to come across before she left. "What's truly sad about this is that you had a choice. You could've chosen to go back to the Southern Water Tribe and lived your life the way it used to be. But instead, you let your rage and desire for revenge consume you, and it led you down this path. I honestly feel sorry for what you went through, but that gives you no right to take your resentment out on people who've done you no wrong!"

"And don't ever mess with me or my sister!" Sokka said angrily.

Hama shook the water off her face and sneered at her captors. "So, you've finally beaten me," she said. "I just hope you realize that you've denied an old woman her final wish before she eventually leaves this world."

"I'll be sure to put that on your gravestone after you've passed away in prison," said Zuko. The Fire Lord shifted his eyes over to his friends. "Now, let's go find the others and deal with the Dark Ace."

The others nodded in agreement with their friend and set out across the field to join their companions, leaving Hama by herself and breathing a sigh in defeat and wondered if all the trouble she went through was worth it.

The only battle that remained was between Aerrow and Carver. Strike after strike came from each combatant, and they were blocked every time. Carver soon got more aggressive with his attacks and so he made his slashes even faster than before. Aerrow had a difficult time with blocking each slash so he put his Bending skills to good use. A blast of air came from the Sky Knight's palms that pushed away Carver until he was a good distance away.

Aerrow and Carver relaxed after taking in deep breaths from all the attacks they attempted to land. Both of them stood still looking straight into the other's eyes.

"Why don't you just give up now?" said Carver. "I've got more strength and skill than you. At this point, it's pretty useless to keep fighting 'cause you're bound to lose!"

The red-haired teen narrowed his eyes, thinking that it was rather insulting of Carver to say those words and it was also a bit of an inferiority complex. Still, deciding to humour his opponent, Aerrow said, "Maybe so, but I have something that you'll never have."

Carver laughed at the idea. "And what's that?" he asked in curiosity.

A sly grin formed on Aerrow's face as he replied, "Friends!"

Carver stared oddly but then turned his head skyward when he heard a loud growl. His eyes were set wide in shock when he saw Appa fly towards him and land on the ground with a loud thud. The resulting vibrations from the sky bison landing shook the earth around the disgraced Sky Knight and made him topple to the ground. Carver was about to stand up when Radarr and Momo came screeching out of Appa's saddle and landed on him. The two then started biting Carver in different places, causing him to scream in pain and try to grab them to get them off. Angrily, Carver swatted them away but missed each time as they were too fast for him to keep up, and then they suddenly stopped and leapt off him when they saw that their distraction had worked long enough.

Getting back to his feet, Carver looked around and gasped when he saw all of Aerrow's friends gathered around him: the Storm Hawks, Starling and Sokka having their weapons aimed directly at him, and the Benders getting into stances to have the chance ready to strike. But Carver felt too proud to give up at this moment when he was so close to having his retribution. He brought up his dagger and held it threateningly but stood in his spot, knowing it would be foolhardy to attack in that position.

"This is far from over!" said Carver. "I don't care if I have to work my way through all of you! I _will_ take down Aerr—" The man's speech was interrupted when a blue pulse struck his back and he fainted from the sheer pain.

Aerrow slowly walked up with a dagger held out to show he was the one who fired the shot. He looked down at his opponent and sheathed his weapons, knowing that it was finally over. "Aerrow: three. Carver: zip!"

"Well, that was a huge waste of time," said Sokka.

"You said it," said Finn. "But at least we don't have to worry about these losers anymore."

"Now that the way is clear," said Aang, "let's find the Dark Ace and put an end to this madness!"

"I couldn't have said it better myself," said Aerrow. "Now quickly: to Repton's lair!"

Everyone nodded and made off on foot to Repton's lair in the distance to finally stop the Dark Ace and end the war that put both worlds in danger. Not long after they had left, Repton had finally regained consciousness after taking the lightning bolt in the chest. He shook his head to get his bearings straight and then looked at the group heading off towards his hideout. A growl came out from his mouth and he narrowed his eyes with rage.

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><p>BlueTiger321: Oh, man! This chapter was a lot of work!<p>

Aerrow: Well, at least it was awesome!

Zuko: But I sure wish it would all be over soon.

Piper: How can you say that?

Katara: But it has to end eventually, right?

BlueTiger321: True. Anyway folks, it'll probably be a while until I have the next chapter up, so I want to wish you all Happy Holidays and to please stay tuned when our heroes go up for the showdown against the Dark Ace. So, until next time…

Everyone: Read and review!


	23. Chapter 23: The Avatar and the Sky Knigh

Chapter 23: The Avatar and the Sky Knight

BlueTiger321: Hi there, folks! I hope you all had a great holiday, so here's the big showdown between the Storm Hawks, the Avatar's group and the master of evil himself, the Dark Ace! *sinister music plays* =O Whoa, where'd that come from? Anyway, this chapter is sure to be awesome so sit back and try to act surprised. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The group marched up to the front gates of Repton's lair. Their previous encounter with the Dark Ace's allied forces had been a hindrance to their real goal but it was something they all felt needed to be done in order to reach their destination. Not only were they able to beat their enemies, but they also gained some insight about themselves and why they were able to defeat them. The same tactic may not be as effective against the Dark Ace, they each thought, but it was definitely worth trying because both of their worlds hung in the balance, and it would all come down to this final battle.<p>

It wasn't long before they reached the doorway and stared at it. The way that it towered over them and knowing who was inside made the situation feel ominous. But they each knew that there was no turning back; it was up to them to stop their enemy from corrupting Atmos. Though none of them wanted to admit it, they were all scared for their lives.

"So," Finn said, breaking the silence, "do we knock or is there a doorbell?"

Piper stared at her friend for making such a ridiculous comment. "Really? That's what you have to say at a time like this?"

"Well, there's no harm in trying to lighten the mood, right?"

"Finn," said Zuko, "you _really_ need to know when to keep your mouth shut."

Aerrow decided to stay out of the conversation, both for not wanting to get involved and to protect his friend's feelings. Instead he already figured out how they were going to get inside. "This looks like one of those things that require brute strength," he said and turned to his Wallop friend. "Junko, you're up!"

"On it," he said. Junko walked up to the gate and slammed his fists together to activate his Knuckle Busters. He pulled his charged weapons back and then swiftly struck out to the gates.

A loud bang was heard when the Wallop's crystal-powered fists collided with the gate, and everyone watched it fly backward from the force and end up broken and splintered on the floor. Junko deactivated his Knuckle Busters and ran inside along with his friends with a determined stare formed on each of their faces. This would finally be it, they all thought. They would defeat the Dark Ace and everything in their worlds would return to normal. What gave them the strength to go forward was the power of their friendship and the will to save their homes.

Everyone kept running until they finally got into the main chamber, and they all skidded to a halt when they saw their enemy standing on a platform with his back turned as though he was nonchalant to their presence.

Aerrow unsheathed his daggers and activated the blades with narrowed eyes. "Dark Ace!" he shouted. "We're here to put a stop to your madness!"

In response to his name, the Dark Ace turned around with a sinister look on his face. He then spread his arms out as though he was welcoming the group as his guests. "Well done," he said. "You've finally made it. But I must say that your reason for being here will be quite for naught."

"It's over, Dark Ace!" said Aang. "Our combined forces are dealing with your soldiers as we speak! We've taken care of your allies, and now you're all by yourself here! So as the Avatar, I will offer you this one chance to surrender, or else we will be forced to resort to extreme measures!"

The Dark Ace took in everything the boy said to him. After a moment, he shook his head and laughed mockingly at the absurd statement. "Me surrender? My dear boy, you honestly don't know me that well, do you? I have never been one to lay down my arms to anyone, especially not to a group of children. Even Aerrow and the Storm Hawks know that because they've fought against me for a long time."

"Well," said Starling, "don't you think it's a good time to start?"

The Dark Ace slowly walked down the platform and cautiously kept his distance from the group so as not to incite a battle. To him, he felt that he had to get a message across to them and it—although being somewhat awkward to be mentioned at that particular moment—was relevant to his goals and why he had gone through all the trouble to get where he was. The Dark Ace kept his eyes on each of them and could see that their angry stares had not changed since he moved, and he knew that that was how he wanted them all: to be as furious as they could be in the upcoming battle so his victory would be more triumphant.

Katara moved her arms around to keep her Waterbending stance while she followed the Dark Ace's movements, feeling that the man was up to something. "Dark Ace," she said, "how could you justify what you've done to the people of Atmos? What is it that they've done to deserve this?"

"Oh, nothing, really," replied the man and then stopped in his tracks. "It's just that I was once a soldier of Cyclonia and all we ever believe in is power. But I've felt my yearning for power for as long as I can remember, before I even turned my back on the original Storm Hawks and allied myself with Cyclonia."

The Avatar's group was taken aback by the statement. Hearing that the enemy they had come to hate was once a member of the Sky Knight squadron that Aerrow now commanded made them feel like they had just been struck by lightning. They all turned their heads to the Storm Hawks to see if what their foe was saying was the truth and they could tell from their angered stares that it was indeed factual.

"Did you guys hear it, too?" asked Sokka.

"Yeah, and I can't believe it either," said Toph.

"The Dark Ace was once a Storm Hawk?" said Aang. "That's gotta be the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"I'm afraid it's true," said Aerrow. "He's responsible for eliminating the first Storm Hawks, and we took up the mantle when we first learned that I'm the descendent of the Sky Knight, Lightning Strike."

"You'd think that someone like the Dark Ace would try to make us feel disillusioned by what he had done," said Piper, "but honestly, it's only made us accept our duties with greater enthusiasm."

"You're right," said Starling. "And besides, it's not your fault that the Dark Ace is a power hungry, backstabbing, vindictive egomaniac who plans to enslave everyone in our world."

The Dark Ace widened his smile. "I take that as a compliment. As for the Storm Hawks, I'm glad that I severed that chain a long time ago. Those weaklings were holding me back from reaching my true potential. They were always prattling on about doing the right thing and upholding their values, but I wanted power more than anything else.

"Power is what makes me strong. Power is what earns me respect. Power is what gives me what I need in order to fulfill my destiny! And I will do whatever it takes in order to achieve that power, even if it means taking down those who are stupid enough to earn my trust."

The words from the Dark Ace made Aerrow grasp his weapons even tighter and he could feel his skin pinching underneath his gloves. "You know what?" he said. "I'm glad that you left, because you could never have what it takes to be part of a Sky Knight squadron! Your greed and selfishness are what make you to be the monster you are! I'm surprised that any squadron would want you on their team, let alone the Storm Hawks!

"In a way, I pity you because your thirst for power is clouding your vision. You think that you're going to win this battle because you have all the power you need, but you don't see that it's going to be your downfall. And as a Sky Knight, I will make certain that it will happen by my hand!"

"Is that so?" said the Dark Ace. "Well then, by all means, go right ahead with your so-called plan. But I must warn you: I won't make it easy for you or your friends."

Toph was through with the conversation, so she brought up her hand and called forth a boulder from behind the Dark Ace. The gigantic stone came hurtling toward the man at great speed, and the blind girl thought it would catch him off guard. But it changed in an instant when the Dark Ace brought his hand behind his back and fired a red pulse that struck the boulder and disintegrated it into dust. The others all stood gasping at the failed attempt from their friend, so they would have to devise a new strategy.

"My turn," said the Dark Ace. He then brought his hands together and spread them apart to release a wave of energy that stretched out towards the group.

But Piper was ready with a line of defense. Digging through her pouch, she brought out her Binding crystals and held them to her front. A blue light passed over her and her friends that created a barrier around them while the Dark Ace's attack harmlessly passed over them. The barrier faded when Piper separated her crystals and allowed the group to once again freely attack their enemy.

Finn went first by firing a barrage of bolts. They soared through the air like an angry swarm of bees intent on stinging whoever disturbed their hive. But the Dark Ace used his power to increase his speed and easily dodged each bolt. He then used that speed to get into Finn's face, making the marksman gasp in pure shock. The confrontation was so fast that he barely had time to react to the Dark Ace balling his hand into a fist that went straight into his face. Finn went screaming through the air before he hit a wall and slumped to the floor, his jaw in pain and his eyeballs rolling in their sockets.

Junko was furious that his friend was injured so badly, so he combined his immense strength with his Earthbending to grab the earth in front of him and lift up a large stone slab. He came rushing in behind the Dark Ace to crush him while he was distracted, but the man rolled his eyes with a smirk and held his hands over his head. When the slab of rock came down, it suddenly shattered to pieces when it touched the Dark Ace's hands. The man then took the Wallop by surprise by turning around and showing his eyes glowing red. Two red lasers came out the Dark Ace's eyes that hit Junko in the chest and sent him sprawling across the floor until he rested on his back.

The Dark Ace was about to attack his next victim when the shattered earth around him began to move. He looked in front to see Toph try to get the edge on him once more with another attempt at Earthbending. Toph shouted and clapped her hands to command the stones to close around the Dark Ace to crush him under their massive weight. When it was done, the blind girl smiled in congratulations to herself for what she thought was a success, but then she strained as the earth she controlled began to push against her will. In an instant, the earth was blasted away to reveal the Dark Ace covered in a red aura laughing in victory for his escape. He then looked at Toph and fired a red pulse from his hand that struck her and made her shout as she fell down hard.

From out of the corner of Dark Ace's eye, he saw Katara bending the water out of her carrier. The man was about to deal with the girl when he saw Sokka in front charging with his sword held high. A sly grin formed on his face as he figured out how to deal with the two of them. Sokka came up first and slashed downward only to be halted and covered in a red aura when the Dark Ace held out an index finger. The teenage boy tried to struggle against it but was no match against the power that contained him. The Dark Ace then directed his hand over to his side and thrust out to make Sokka move to his will.

It was at that time that Katara fired a jet of water but then saw Sokka coming at her full speed. The boy gargled in water from the attack while being pushed out and struck his sister where they both collapsed to the floor in a pile.

Zuko and Starling had gotten to each of the Dark Ace's sides. Holding their hands high, they swung down vertically and each released a line of flame at their adversary. But the Dark Ace merely laughed at the two and teleported out of the way in a red flash just before the two flames struck each other and fizzled out of existence.

The Dark Ace teleported in front of Starling, making the Interceptor gasp in fright and search around her suit for her nunchucks when the two both noticed a blue light in the distance. They looked to see it was Zuko forming lightning in his hands. The Fire Lord was already finished so he held out his hand and fired the lightning bolt. The Dark Ace teleported out of the way once again and let the lightning bolt speed its way to Starling, but the woman already knew what to do. She stretched out her hands and caught the lightning, bringing it down her arm, across her stomach, and up the other arm. A red flash came from behind her, so she instantly directed her arm to her back and redirected the lightning bolt.

The man was surprised at first but knew of a way to counter the attack. He took the lightning bolt in the chest and concentrated his power on that point. The lightning then changed red as it melded with his own power, causing him to absorb the blow and fill him with more energy. The Dark Ace laughed and shot out his hands to use the power he gained and fired a red wave that hit Zuko and Starling. The two shouted and were sent into the wall where they fell unconscious after their efforts had been in vain.

Within seconds of his latest victory, the Dark Ace could feel the air moving around him. He looked above his head to see Aang swirling the air with his hands to try another tactic. Already the Dark Ace slid along the floor as the twisting air pushed him along with its current, and it soon became faster and faster until he was wide-eyed and desperately trying to think of a way to elude the boy's attack. Just when it seemed hopeless for him, the Dark Ace once again teleported and appeared in midair right behind Aang. The Avatar was stunned by the feat and then shouted in pain when the Dark Ace punched him in the chest so hard that he fell out of the air and let the air he gathered dissipate.

Aang continued to fall but held out one finger within inches of hitting the floor and held himself above with a stream of air to break his fall. The boy made a soft landing but clutched his chest in pain after receiving the blow from the Dark Ace. He knelt down and breathed heavily while he took the time to recuperate and hoped his friends would do all right without him.

The Dark Ace landed back on the floor and immediately felt a sharp pain by his ankles. Looking down, he grumbled to see Radarr and Momo furiously biting him, but all it did was seriously annoy the man. The Dark Ace kicked his feet up and sent the two creatures away just before he felt another strong gust of air blow in his face. Appa confronted the man and used his own Airbending by blowing from his mouth, which caused the Dark Ace to slide on the ground like before when he faced Aang. The Dark Ace grumbled again and activated his power while not noticing glowing red veins forming on his neck. He created a barrier to his front that shielded him from the air and then pushed it out to strike Appa in the face, causing the sky bison to growl and drop his head.

Aerrow and Piper were the last ones to face the Dark Ace, and they had already formulated a plan to use against him.

The girl quickly cast her crystals at the boy and shouted, "Diamond's Edge!"

Aerrow was hit with a blue beam by his friend and it channeled him with power. Forming his hands together, a large fragment of jagged diamond grew from the tips until it stopped and looked to be twice as long as Aerrow. The Sky Knight used his power to charge at the Dark Ace, but then suddenly stopped when the man raised a finger and held him in place. With a snap of his fingers, the Dark Ace had created a red sphere inside Aerrow's diamond that expanded and then exploded to send both him and Piper shouting through the air until they crashed on the floor.

Aang groaned and looked at what laid before him. All over the room his friends had been defeated singlehandedly by the Dark Ace within seconds of facing him. They had all entered with a goal set and they were overpowered by the one who threatened their lives. Aang felt hot tears stinging his eyes and fall to his cheeks, wishing that it was some kind of nightmare from which he would soon wake up, but the salty taste of his tears reminded him that it was real.

"Take a good look, boy," said the Dark Ace, "for this will be the last chance you will ever get to see your friends before I obliterate them! Did you really think that you stood a chance against me? I am a supreme being with more power than you could ever imagine, and now I will do with it as I see fit! Not even those worthless fools who I convinced to join me will stand in my way. When I'm done conquering the Atmos, they will be taken care of the same way I'll take care of you and your friends."

Just then, the Dark Ace shouted when he was struck in the back. The blow caused him to stagger forward a few steps where he returned upright. A whooshing sound passed by his ears and he saw that it emanated from a crystal-powered boomerang. Turning around, he saw the weapon return to its wielder, Repton.

The Raptor leader stepped into the room with rage forming on his face as though he had been given upsetting news. "I knew it!" he said. "You never had any intention of fulfilling our desires! We were just pawns in your little game!"

Rather than get angry, the Dark Ace smiled at Repton. "It took you this long to figure it out?" he said. "Honestly, Repton, I am surprised. You used to be under Cyclonis's command as well, so I thought that you would at least pick up on the signs. Why else would I have sent you and everyone else out on those missions to stop the Storm Hawks and their friends? I'm the one with the power, and I shouldn't have to waste it on such menial tasks. If there's one thing I learned from Cyclonis, it's that those who are weaker than I are beneath me."

Repton aimed his boomerang at the man and narrowed his eyes with intent. "You wretch! I should've known better than to side myself with Cyclonis's former lapdog! Well, that changes right now. I'm going to thrash you so badly that you'll be begging for death!"

"That's where you're wrong. For you see, the Storm Hawks and their allies have already failed to bring me down, so you would be delusional to fight me. But then again, who am I to stop you?"

A snarl came out of Repton's mouth as he was done hearing the ramblings of the Dark Ace. Gathering the power within his weapon, he spiralled into the air while covered in a yellow aura and launched his Boomerang attack.

The Dark Ace stood his ground and used his power while still oblivious to the red veins on his neck that grew in length. Extending his hand, he unleashed a shockwave that knocked the boomerang out of the air and travelled towards Repton where it sent him into the wall that contained the shields of defeated Sky Knight squadrons. Repton stood up immediately after the assault and had his claws extended and his fangs snapping ready to combat again. But the Dark Ace was not finished. Raising his hand up, he commanded Repton's boomerang to spin on its own and launched it out.

Repton ducked out of the way of his own weapon heading straight for him but did not see the boomerang slicing through the metal rods that supported the wall behind him. It wasn't long until the Raptor heard creaking and he shouted when the wall came toppling down on him. The shields scattered along the floor and buried Repton underneath a huge pile of metal. Repton crawled his way out of the wreckage but felt waves of pain shoot up through his body after his encounters with Starling and the Dark Ace, so he rested on the floor and breathed a sigh of defeat.

"You brought this on yourself, Repton," said the Dark Ace. "You should've accepted this fate that's been dealt on you. You were never meant to be a player in this game; only a pawn."

Suddenly, the Dark Ace shouted when a crystal pulse struck his back. The man cursed himself after falling prey to the unexpected assault twice, but he was certainly not going to take it lightly against the one foolish enough to do it. Turning around, he grunted with fury to see Aerrow standing up with his daggers held out.

"You and I have some unfinished business," said the Sky Knight.

"Don't forget me," said Aang. The boy Avatar soon stood beside his friend and held out his staff after recovering from the attack he sustained earlier and was now more determined than ever to defeat his foe.

The Dark Ace narrowed his eyes angrily after seeing that he would have to continue his battle with his most hated enemy and the boy he also despised. His hands were charged with red energy while the veins in his neck had now begun to flash. "You know," he said, "you really should've stayed down!" Holding up his hands, the man unleashed two large pulses at his targets.

Aerrow and Aang were ready for the incoming blasts, so they each stomped a foot into the ground and raised a boulder with their Earthbending. The two then twirled around and kicked their boulders at the energy pulses. When the two forces collided with each other, they created an explosion of stone and light that forced everyone to cover their eyes from fear of being blinded by the brightness or being battered by debris. The light had finally dimmed, and Aerrow and Aang used the opportunity to launch themselves with gusts of air from their feet. They then dove toward the Dark Ace with a foot extended and kicked him in the chest where he was knocked to the floor and rolled until he stopped on his hands and knees.

Standing up, the Dark Ace growled at the two for fooling him. "You'll pay for that!" The man once again charged up his hand while the veins continued flashing.

The Avatar and the Sky Knight tried to think of another option for dealing with the Dark Ace when they heard a call from behind them. "Aerrow, catch!" said Piper.

The red-haired teen looked to his back to see a water crystal being tossed through the air. Using his Waterbending, Aerrow lowered it down to him and held it hovering between himself and Aang. The Dark Ace extended his hand to fire another attack, but Aerrow was quick on the draw and bent water out to the man's arm that encased it and was transformed into ice. The Dark Ace looked shocked at his frozen arm but then gasped when he felt water wrap around his waist. Aang had bent water out of the crystal and lashed it around the Dark Ace and commanded it to pull the man towards him. In response, the Dark Ace let out a shout when he drew near, and Aerrow somersaulted and landed his foot to the man's chin that launched him backwards.

The Dark Ace landed on his back and shouted from the hit he received. He immediately stood up and shattered the ice around his arm and began to prepare for his next attack. The veins on his neck had continued flashing more rapidly and had now spread throughout his body, creating glows from underneath his clothes. He wasted no time and fired two red beams from his palms, hoping that the two boys would have no way to counter them.

By that time the others had regained consciousness, and they were all amazed to see Aerrow and Aang face off against the Dark Ace by themselves like they were an unstoppable force. It seemed to them that with the combined powers of their friends, they would actually be successful in completing their goal and saving Atmos from enslavement. Each of them wished they could help, but the injuries they acquired in trying to stop the Dark Ace had proven too much for any of them to handle so they were forced to only watch.

The Avatar and the Sky Knight were bathed in red light from the incoming beams. They nodded to each other and heaved out their palms in front as they each unleashed a huge flame streak that intercepted the beams. All three combatants kept their attacks going strong with none of them yielding for one second. The Dark Ace grunted when he felt pain throughout his body but ignored it and kept up his attack, knowing that any sign of weakness would mean certain doom. Aerrow and Aang then summoned their inner strength and made their flames bigger when they both pushed out once more. The flames doubled in size and easily tore through the energy beams towards the Dark Ace. Seeing the flames coming, the man held up his arms in defense only to be blasted to the floor in a blazing inferno. The Dark Ace rolled along the floor while the flames had been extinguished around his body, and he stood up shaking while the mysterious veins kept glowing and caused him extreme discomfort.

The others stared quizzically at the Dark Ace, noting both his rage and the inexplicable way that his body was reacting after all the power he had shown.

"Dudes," said Finn, "what's up with the Dark Ace? Why is he lighting up like a firefly?"

"I'm not sure," replied Piper. "But whatever it is, it cannot be good."

Aerrow got his daggers out and held them pointed at the Dark Ace, ready to make a move. "You may have power, but even you can't figure out what to do with it. It's over, Dark Ace!"

"Over?" the man said disbelievingly. "It's over when _I_ say it's over!" He then gathered up his power and spread out his arms as his body began to give off waves of energy.

Everyone watched in concern to see if the Dark Ace would try a last resort to stop them. The waves coming from him intensified and suddenly made the entire building shake, and now they were starting to fear for their lives at what it would lead to if it were to continue.

"I get the feeling that he seems upset," said Sokka.

"You're noticing this now?" said Katara.

"How are we going to stand a chance against that?" said Starling.

Piper got out her Binding crystals again and held them out. Although feeling slightly skeptical about whether the idea would work, she had to try it for her friends' sake. "Everyone, gather behind me!" she said.

* * *

><p>The battle continued outside Terra Bogaton with both forces still fighting heavily. They kept up their strategies as planned out all for the sake of their home worlds. All of a sudden, the fighting stopped when everyone's attention was turned over across the terra when they felt the entire land begin to rumble as though an earthquake had appeared. The soldiers of both sides looked on in confusion by the unexpected turn of events, but what happened next was something that nobody could fathom.<p>

Repton's lair had been blown away when a red light reached out from where it once stood and touched the sky to cast a foreboding glow. When the light finally stopped, those who were close to where the lair was looked up and gasped when they saw the Dark Ace laughing and floating down to the ground in triumph, his body surging with bolts of red lightning and the veins flashing continuously.

It was then that the crystal soldiers resumed their fighting when they realized their master was the reason for the shaking, and so the fighters of both worlds had also gotten back to battling like they should.

During the battles, Tritonn looked on and hoped that the Storm Hawks would safely make it out of the battle, knowing that they would be their only chance of standing against the Dark Ace.

Meanwhile, the Dark Ace looked down in expectance to see the group destroyed by his display of power. Much to his chagrin, he looked with wide eyes to see a blue barrier encased around the group along with Repton. Piper held out her Binding crystals but then gasped and let the barrier disappear after using so much energy so quickly.

"Are you okay?" Aerrow asked his teammate in concern.

"I'm fine," replied the crystal mage. She pointed up to the Dark Ace to make her next point. "It's _him_ you should be worried about."

The Dark Ace bellowed at the top of his lungs, which made everyone look to the sky. From what they saw, they were completely bewildered. The man levitated in the air, his hair weaving about in the wind and the left side of his face turned red and glowing. A red glow could also be seen underneath his clothes that shone brightly through the fabric. Lowering himself, the Dark Ace stared at his opponents until he was at their level.

"Now do you see it?" said the Dark Ace. "I have the power to bend everything to my will! And there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Energy crackled around his body again as he was going to prepare his next attack. The group put themselves in defensive stances but then watched as the Dark Ace froze before he was about to release his stored-up power. Wide-eyed and confused, the Dark Ace clutched his chest and breathed heavily once the energy dissipated. Aerrow and the others were also perplexed by the display and tried to deduce what was happening to their enemy.

"What's going on?" said Zuko. "He's got all this power and now he's acting strange."

"It looks like he's in great pain," said Piper.

Aerrow watched as the Dark Ace resumed his composure and tried to use more of his power, but it only resulted as before with the man crying out in pain. "Of course," said the Sky Knight. "He's used so much of his power already that he's finally reached his limits! All we have to do is keep fighting him so he'll use his power until he'll eventually wear himself out, and that's when we finish him off."

"That sounds like a reasonable plan," said Aang, "and I'm with you all the way."

The Dark Ace mocked the idea with a sneer. "Not if I destroy you first!" he shouted. Levitating off the ground, he laughed and prepared to use his power to annihilate his foes.

Piper held her Binding crystals out to Aerrow and cast another spell. "Lightning Strike!" she said.

A blue beam was fired from the crystals and enveloped Aerrow, allowing him the power to fly through the air so he was at the same height as the Dark Ace. Immediately, the two began their battle by crashing into each other. A flurry of kicks and punches came from each combatant that almost seemed like a blur due to their increased speed. The Dark Ace eventually switched to another tactic by speeding his way into Aerrow at such incredible speed that he was surrounded with a red light. The red-haired teen had used the same strategy by flying at the same speed but was surrounded with a blue light.

Everyone on the ground watched as the two energies collided with each other and created such a brilliant display like fireworks erupting in the sky. Meanwhile, Aang was busy meditating while focusing on his chakras to assist Aerrow. Deeply he searched within himself to locate them, and when they were open they allowed great spiritual energy to flow throughout his body. When all the chakras were opened, the boy opened his eyes and they glowed with a white light.

The two lights faded and Aerrow and the Dark Ace floated before one another while casting hate-filled glances. The boy Sky Knight could see that his plan was working as the Dark Ace's own power was causing him more pain every time it was used, but he could not keep it up for very long as the temporary power he gained from the Binding would wear out at any minute.

"Well, Aerrow," said the Dark Ace, "it's been fun but I must get back to conquering the world. So now I'm going to—"

Before the man could finish his sentence, he was interrupted when a stone was thrown to his right shoulder and forced him to stagger forward. He turned his head while grunting with rage in his voice and looked at a surprising sight. Aang levitated in the air while in the Avatar State, a sphere of air encasing his body and the elements of water, earth and fire revolving around him.

Aang then spoke out, his voice echoing across the terra and sounding like the voices of different beings both male and female along with his own voice. _"Dark Ace, you have caused great suffering throughout this world. For your crimes against the innocent, you shall be justly punished by the hands of the Avatar and by the one called Aerrow!"_

The Sky Knight joined in the conversation by saying, "You're facing off against more than you can handle, Dark Ace! Why don't you do yourself a favour and just give up now while you have the chance?"

The Dark Ace furiously shook his head and gathered more energy, ignoring the pain and holding out his arms. He held the power in his hands and shouted, "NEVER!" Two red spheres were fired from his palms that went after the Avatar and the Sky Knight.

Aerrow and Aang put up their hands defensively and used Firebending to hurl two large fireballs at the incoming blasts. The added strength of the Binding and the Avatar State had caused the fireballs to move even faster so they was able to tear through the energy spheres and continued on their course to the Dark Ace. A fiery explosion was created when the fireballs connected with the Dark Ace, sending him several yards away but still maintaining his levitation.

The constant battering annoyed the Dark Ace even further, so he launched his next attack by creating a red energy whip from his right hand. He lashed out his weapon only to find his two targets moving too fast for him to keep up. Aerrow launched himself at the Dark Ace by transforming into a blue energy blur and knocked him to the side. Aang had intercepted the man by blasting him with Airbending that sent him higher into the sky.

When the Dark Ace halted his ascension, he grumbled angrier than ever and created a force field around himself and plummeted back down to smash into his foes. Seeing the man coming closer towards them, the two boys had already come up with a solution. Aerrow went first by gathering what power was left from the Binding and held a blue energy pulse between his hands. He looked straight at the barrier coming closer and waited for the right time, and then he shouted and hurled the pulse into the sky.

The attack from Aerrow soared upward and shone like the first star coming out in the night sky. It eventually crashed into the Dark Ace's force field and made a large explosion that created a huge blue wave over the terra. The explosion dissolved the force field and left the Dark Ace open to attack, and that's when Aang appeared in front of him. Four simultaneous blasts made of each element were fired from the Avatar that struck the Dark Ace in the chest and sent him screaming down to the ground where he crashed down in front of everyone who was there.

The crash made everyone gasp in surprise. Dust flew up as a result and clouded their vision until it finally settled and revealed the Dark Ace shakily get to his feet. Heavy breaths came out of his mouth and he held his sides to ease his pain. He looked to see Aang land in front of him and reverting back to normal. The Dark Ace saw this was his chance to finally strike down the boy so he raised his hand to conjure more power. All of a sudden, the Dark Ace dropped to his knees and shouted with agony. His entire body glowed red as the power he wielded had at last consumed him.

"What's… happening… to me?" the Dark Ace said between breaths.

"You finally acquired all the power you want," said Aang, "and now it has taken control. All that's left of you is an empty shell."

The Dark Ace looked at the boy with a smile. "So, you've finally won. But I'll bet… you don't have… what it takes… to finish me off."

"You're right, I don't. But he does."

Aang stepped out of the way to reveal Aerrow landing on the ground after the power of the Binding faded from his body. After unsheathing and igniting his daggers, he slowly walked up to the Dark Ace and stared down at him, feeling no sympathy for everything he had done. To him the man who stood before him was pure evil and he deserved to receive the ultimate sentence.

Laughing, the Dark Ace said, "Well, Aerrow, it looks like… you've finally… gotten… your deepest desire. I'm defeated… and you… get to… deliver… the final blow."

"You know something?" said Aerrow. "You do deserve to be finished off, especially after the horrible things you've done, but I don't have to. You've already been beaten down and now you're just a worthless, pathetic excuse for a human being."

A while later, the Dark Ace laughed at the reason. Being called pathetic was rather ironic to him since he thought Aerrow did not have the courage to finish him off. "Even in my darkest hour, you're still weak! I can't believe that you're a Sky Knight!"

"Actually," said the red-haired teen, "not finishing you off makes me strong—a strength that you could never have. And besides, it looks like you're doing the work for me."

The Dark Ace was confused by the statement, but then he felt something strange. Looking down, he saw that his legs were transforming into red crystal. A shout of terror came from his mouth as the crystallization travelled throughout his body. The man reached out to beg for aid, but everybody stood back and let the man's power envelop him. The process was done and everyone stood in disbelief to see the Dark Ace had been changed into crystal.

"Whoa," said Finn. "Sucks to be him."

"No kidding," said Junko.

A few seconds had passed and they all saw the Dark Ace's body fracture in several places. The cracks travelled along the crystal until it could no longer support its own weight and collapsed on itself. Everyone looked to see it was nothing more than a pile of crystal fragments, which meant that the Dark Ace was finally gone.

Meanwhile on Terra Bogaton, all the crystal warriors summoned by the Dark Ace suddenly froze in mid-battle. The Atmosian fighters and the Avatar's allies all stood confused at the sight but then were awestruck at what happened next. One by one, the crystal warriors fell to the ground and shattered upon impact when they had lost their power upon the Dark Ace's destruction.

Tritonn smiled at what he saw, knowing that the Storm Hawks were successful. "They did it! We've won!" he cried.

All across the fields, the allied forces erupted in cheers to see that they had won the battle. It was truly a victory they had earned.

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><p>Back on Terra Atmosia, the crystal that encased Cyclonis began to fracture. All the townspeople standing around looked on in worry at the sight, thinking that Cyclonis would wreak havoc if she had been freed. Indeed, their worst fears had come true when they saw the crystal disintegrate and release Cyclonis.<p>

The girl shook her head, trying to remember what had happened to her. It then became clear to her that the Dark Ace turned on her and trapped her within a crystal prison. She would get her revenge on him, but first she was going to make sure that the people of Atmos would fear her again.

Cyclonis stood before the townspeople and raised her arm. "Bow before me!" she commanded.

The people of Atmosia backed away in fear at what Cyclonis was about to do, but then they saw that she had not created any sort of damage after a few seconds passed. Lowering her hand, Cyclonis looked perplexed at why she could not conjure any power so she tried again, and still nothing happened. The girl stood confused: she was a powerful crystal mage who could do anything to her will and she felt like a commoner. That's when she thought back and remembered that the Dark Ace drained her of her power.

Seeing that Cyclonis was helpless, the townspeople gathered around her with angry stares and pitchforks in their hands. Cyclonis lowered her head and breathed a sigh, knowing that she would be forced to admit defeat. It had to be the most humiliating day of her life.

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><p>Ravess had regained consciousness and helped her brother to her feet while Repton's brothers, Carver and Long Feng had also self-righted themselves. Their bodies ached after the thrashing they received from the Storm Hawks and their friends but they would be sure to get even with them.<p>

Suddenly, they were alerted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. They looked out across the field to see all the Atmosian fighters and the Avatar's allies staring angrily at them with either their weapons stretched out or posing in Bending stances. Ravess looked nervously at the army that stood before her but was even more surprised to hear a whistle coming from the back. Turning around, she and the others saw the Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group all joined together, their weapons at the ready or getting ready to Bend. Lugey, Spitz and Hoerk especially gasped when they saw Repton unconscious and being slung over Junko's shoulder. Things truly got worse for Ravess and her companions when they heard horns from above, and there they saw the _Condor_ along with every other airship joined together with their blasters aimed directly at them.

Ravess knew that she and her comrades were outnumbered, the Dark Ace had been most likely defeated, and they were still injured from their earlier battle, so she could do the only logical thing. Raising her hands above her head, she looked down and said, "We surrender."

"We do?" said Snipe. He yelped when Ravess elbowed him in the chest, which meant that he was supposed to agree. Eventually, Snipe held up his hands and said, "We do."

Repton's brothers, Carver and Long Feng all followed the example and admitted defeat. It was then that the combined forces all cheered in triumph after all their hard work.

Aerrow smiled at what he saw: everyone in his world and everyone in Aang's world all celebrating after working together at the victory they achieved—and he secretly wished that it would stay that way.

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><p>BlueTiger321: AW, YEAH! Now the Dark Ace is gone for good!<p>

Aerrow: Which means I'll probably be out of a job.

Katara: Don't say that. I'm sure there's still plenty for you to do.

Stork: Yeah. You could even help me in shelving my collection of dark poetry.

Aerrow: Um, I think I'll pass on that.

BlueTiger321: Well folks, the story's not over yet, so stay tuned for the final chapter. Until next time…

Katara: Read and review!

Stork: Seriously, I need to have it shelved.


	24. Chapter 24: Two Worlds, One Dream

Chapter 24: Two Worlds, One Dream

BlueTiger321: Hello again, folks! I hope you all had a happy new year! Well, as much as it pains me to say this, I must officially bring an end to this story. After a lot of hard work and planning, it has finally paid off. So, please enjoy the finale.

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><p>The combined forces gathered together the next day on Terra Atmosia. Yesterday's victory over the Dark Ace's army had earned them the right to celebrate after all their persistence and efforts to save Atmos from tyranny. To the Avatar's allies, it felt as though it was the day that the war in their world had ended after a hundred years.<p>

The streets were packed with cheering crowds as the townspeople watched their saviours triumphantly walk their way to the centre of the terra where the lone tree stood and the Beacon Tower stood brilliantly in the background. Feeling worthy of their praise, the Atmosian fighters and the Benders all waved to the townspeople. Seeing the smiles on their faces for their valiant efforts had made them know that marching off to battle was worth it.

But some people were not taking pleasure in the cheers. In the middle of the group of warriors marched the Dark Ace's allies and Cyclonis with angered expressions on their faces and shackles on their wrists. As punishment for their crimes, they were now going to be placed in maximum security prisons in their worlds. Now they were certain that they never should have aligned themselves with the Dark Ace; they should only have been left to do their own matters instead. For some, however, it felt as though they were back where they started by returning to prison.

Bringing up the rear was the Storm Hawks, Starling and the Avatar's group. The moment they stepped out into view, it became filled with greater shouts of praise. It had been another successful deed that the Sky Knight squadron had done for Atmos, and every man, woman and child was glad to see the heroes they knew was there for them. Everyone in the group humbly accepted the applause, but Finn and Sokka could not help but bow before the crowd with huge grins like it was to be expected for them. The displays from the two made both Piper and Katara roll their eyes in annoyance from how the boys were behaving, thinking it was typical of them to feel so narcissistic.

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><p>A while afterwards, Piper had opened up several portals using the dimension stone once again in tandem with the enhancer stone. Most of the troops from the Avatar's world waved goodbye to the citizens of Atmos and stepped inside with the Earth Kingdom soldiers taking with them Long Feng and the Fire Nation soldiers taking Hama.<p>

Mai was about to enter the portal but waited just to speak with Zuko. The two of them looked lovingly at each other. What they had just gone through was another test of their relationship and they felt like it brought them closer than ever.

"I'll be home soon," said the Fire Lord. "I just want to speak with my friends first."

"Well, don't take too long," said the girl. "It's so tedious in the palace without you around. And I'm not saying that just because it's the truth."

Zuko and Mai leaned in and locked lips with each other. They broke away a few seconds later, and the Fire Lord watched as the girl he loved stepped into the portal and headed back to the Fire Nation. The portal closed soon afterward, so Zuko walked back over to his friends.

Sokka and Suki also shared their own moment together. When the two met, the boy thought that all females were weak and needed males for protection. But Suki had changed his views and now the two of them saw each other as equals. For Sokka, especially, he felt grateful for Suki making him see things differently.

"So," said the boy while scratching the back of his head, "I guess that you'll be heading back now."

"I guess so," replied the girl. "Kyoshi Island is not going to defend itself."

"Yeah, of course not. I know I don't say this enough, but… I'm glad that you changed the way I think about yourself and all girls everywhere. If it hadn't been for your discipline, I probably would've gone on thinking my old, stubborn ways."

Suki smiled at what she heard and it made her feel like Sokka truly appreciated her. "Sokka, all I did was showing you the right path. _You_ are the one who changed your ways. And for what it's worth, I'm proud of what you've become." Then unexpectedly, she leaned up and placed a kiss on Sokka's lips.

The girl was brought back to reality when the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors stood before her and bowed in her presence.

"We're ready for your order," said a Kyoshi Warrior.

Suki turned back and counted out her comrades to make sure they were altogether. She gave a quizzical glance when she saw that one was not present. "Where's Ty Lee?"

The warriors looked out and paused when they saw Ty Lee was kneeling to the ground while looking down at Radarr. Slowly the girl lowered her hand, and the furry co-pilot chirped and closed his eyes, thinking that he was about to get squeezed hard again. A few seconds passed and Radarr opened his eyes to see that he was unharmed; instead Ty Lee was slowly stroking his head and scratching behind his ears. The little guy then learned that it was rather soothing, so he smiled at the girl.

"I'm gonna miss you," said Ty Lee. "But every time I see something cute, I'll be thinking of you."

Radarr then looked up to see the girl rise and walk away from him. It was a touching moment for the little guy, and without realizing it his pupils widened as he went teary-eyed. He wiped his paw across his face to get the tears out as he chirped in sorrow.

Ty Lee rejoined her fellow warriors and bowed to Suki. "I'm ready," she said.

"Then let's return to Kyoshi Island," said Suki. "Everyone will want to hear about our victory."

One by one the Kyoshi Warriors entered the portal to return to their home. Suki was the last to enter and she waved goodbye to Sokka, who in turn waved back. The portal closed behind Suki after she entered, leaving the Water Tribe boy by himself to contemplate about what she said to him. It was true that she showed him that women are strong and capable of many great things, but he was the one who changed what he thought about them. With this newfound realization, he walked back over to Aang and his friends as they gathered with the Storm Hawks.

Aerrow spoke up first. "Well, I hope you all enjoyed your time here in Atmos. I'm sorry that it didn't go as planned."

"Don't worry about it, Aerrow," said Aang. "It was something that was beyond your control. We're just glad to help out."

"I think your world is amazing," said Katara. "I got to meet so many different people and see things I never dreamt possible. I'm really hoping that I'll get to return someday."

Piper smiled at the idea. "Who says that you won't get the chance? I have the power to do so with the dimension stone. We can make sure that our two worlds are no longer kept in the dark of each other—and so we'll always be together."

"Well," said Junko, "thanks for all your help, and for, uh, teaching us how to Bend."

"It was our pleasure," said Zuko. "But you know, you all could come with us so we can continue your training, and you'll be able to perfect your Bending even more. After what I've seen on this trip, it doesn't look like any threats will be revealed soon. So, what do you think?"

The Storm Hawks and Starling looked at each other while they thought about the offer. It sounded so tempting coming from Zuko about how they could stay with their friends for a while and learn to keep practicing their Bending, but it became apparent to them that they already knew what their answer was going to be.

Aerrow turned back to face Aang and the others. "It sounds like a great idea, but we all know that Atmos is where we belong. Just like Aang has to defend his world, we have to defend ours."

"Yeah," said Stork. "Besides, I'd feel a lot more comfortable worrying about the dangers I already know here rather than face the unknown in your world."

Rather than comment on the Merb's paranoia, the others just rolled their eyes and resumed their conversation.

"We understand," said Aang. "We both have our duties to perform."

Toph brought her hands behind her head while hunching her shoulders. "Yeah, it sure stinks about that. We have such big responsibilities and there's no way to back out of 'em, but I guess that's just how it goes."

"And there might be another Dark Ace someday," said Aerrow. "So we will always have to be at the ready."

"Well," said Sokka, "rest assured that when that day comes, you can always count on us to get your back."

In response, Aang and the others all nodded their heads to agree with what their friend said.

"Thanks," said Aerrow. He averted his gaze to the ground and thought about the outcome of his battle with the Dark Ace.

"What's wrong, Aerrow?" asked Piper.

"I just wonder if what I did was truly the right thing to do. I wanted so much to deal the final blow to the Dark Ace but I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"You did do the right thing, Aerrow," said Aang. "When I was about to face off against Fire Lord Ozai, I had the same conflicting emotions about whether I should kill him or not. But in the end, I spared his life because I upheld my beliefs. You chose to be the better person by not delivering the blow that would end his life because that's just who you are."

Katara stepped up beside Aang to add her own words of wisdom. "I felt the same way when I confronted the man who killed my mother. I was so full of rage for what he did, and then I saw that he was just a pathetic coward. The minute that he begged for his life, I felt that it wasn't worth all that trouble. I spared him because I thought that I wouldn't be any better than him if I were to take his life."

Aerrow took in the information and it made him feel proud about his decision. What he did, he thought, was what defined a Sky Knight: showing bravery, upholding justice, and knowing when to show mercy.

The Avatar's group knew that they could not stay for much longer, so they all climbed aboard Appa and gathered into his saddle.

Katara looked down with tear-filled eyes, thinking that it might actually be the last time that she would see her friends. "Does this really have to be our final moment together?"

"Of course not," replied Starling. "As long as we live on, we will always be connected to each other. You've touched us in such a way that we will never forget you, even if we tried."

The Storm Hawks then waved to their friends, knowing that they would be separated physically but never spiritually.

"Yip yip!" said Aang.

Appa grumbled by the command and rose into the air. The Avatar's group then flew through the portal back to their world where it closed behind them in a large flash.

The Storm Hawks and the Interceptor stood by themselves in the centre of Atmosia. They then felt like they had accomplished something glorious: learning new skills, meeting new people, saving their world, and forming new bonds. The whole experience was truly wondrous for all of them.

"What a couple days this has been," said Finn.

"You can say that again," said Aerrow. "Not only is our world finally rid of the Dark Ace, but we managed to come closer to Aang and the others."

Starling got up and said, "I, for one, am glad that you brought them into Atmos, because they are good people and their help has definitely been appreciated." She then walked away from the Storm Hawks when she knew that their mission was complete.

"Where are you going?" said Junko.

"Unfortunately, I have my own path to follow." Starling got to the _Red Streak_ and mounted it. "But don't worry; remember what I said earlier and you know that we'll never be apart. Well, take care."

The Storm Hawks watched as the Interceptor drove away and took to the skies on her sky ride. Even though their time together was short-lived and Starling always counted herself as a lone wolf, they will always consider her to be one of them.

Aerrow then broke the silence by facing his teammates. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I feel like going back to doing what we do best—travelling across Atmos looking for adventure!"

"Aw, come on, Aerrow!" whined Finn. "Can't we go on vacation? It's been a long time since we took one."

"Finn," Piper said happily, "if you don't want to go on another adventure, then you've obviously joined the wrong group."

Radarr jumped onto Aerrow's back and chirped happily to say that he would gladly go anywhere with him and his friends.

And with that, the Storm Hawks walked back into the _Condor_ and took off into the skies to return to their lifestyle, for they all knew that a Sky Knight squadron's work is never done.

**THE END**

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><p>BlueTiger321: All right! The story's finally over!<p>

Aerrow: It was definitely awesome!

Piper: I'd say everything about it was great.

Finn and Junko: Let's do it again!

Stork: Um, no.

Aang: Yeah, and I think the author needs a break.

Katara: He's definitely worked hard on it.

Sokka: Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Toph: At least it'll remain in our hearts.

Zuko: I don't think we should waste any more of the reader's time.

Starling: Then let's get on with it.

BlueTiger321: Well folks, thank you all for reading my story because I'm really hoping you enjoyed it, and a big thanks goes out to those who left comments. And please stay tuned for my future stories. So, until next time…

Everyone: Read and review!


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